A friend of mine turns the heat on Republican corruption out there in "flyover country."

[DFW]

Iowa's governor has been playing fast and loose with funds from contributions as well as federal funds meant for Corona relief. Well, she forgot that the Iowa State Auditor is no longer her Republican crony, but now a corruption-fighting Democrat, my friend Rob Sand. Maybe it's his baby-faced smile, or his country-boy demeanor, but he takes his job very seriously. Oops. That doesn't bode well for corrupt crony state politics.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/audit-kim-reynolds-covid-relief-funds_n_621f8b1ae4b018aad3c1a8d6

Several years ago, Rob cracked one the country's biggest lottery scams. It was a case so complicated, the Iowa Attorney General's office dropped it in his lap as "unsolvable." To them, it was. To Rob, it wasn't, and he cracked it. I guess the Iowa Republicans figured it would be a one-shot wonder. Nope. Millions in diverted Corona money, and almost half a million in diverted campaign contributions need to be returned. Ouch. As usual, the Republicans think only in Republicanese instead of English, and can't distinguish the difference between Flyover Country and Pushover Country. We can.

[we can do it]

1. Yes we can.

[Lochloosa]

2. It only takes one.

[TheDemsshouldhireme]

3. Pushover Country

that's a great term and should be used more, never heard that before.

[DFW]

15. I just made it up. I had never heard it before either.

It just seemed like an appropriate term for the occasion.

[madaboutharry]

4. Kim Reynolds; another republican fraud.

I loathe her and her anti-government, libertarian, control the womb, book banning, anti-education politics. Her cronies in the state legislature now have a new anti-people cause; getting rid of zoning laws.

Reynolds is a corrupt dumbass hick. Sorry if that offends hicks out there, but it's true.

[JT45242]

6. Corruption for rethugs, a way of life

Grassley is corrupt.
Ernst is corrupt.

The former governor's son killed a couple drunk driving. He covered it up and got reelected. Then made ambassador. The son is still considered an up and coming political possibility.

Covid Kimmy is corrupt.

And dumbass rural folks will still vote rethug because they hate bipoc people.

[Lonestarblue]

7. Corruption in the Republican Party is out of control.

When I look at how corruption at the top in Russia has so damaged that country, I cannot help but compare it to the corruption we now have here. We will probably never know how much of the pandemic relief funds went into the pockets of those well connected in state government and to politicians. While I’m sure some Democrats took advantage, I believe that many Republicans did. If we fail to root out corruption at the top and fail to pass laws making gerrymandering and the voter nullification laws Republicans have passed illegal, we may soon be just like Russia.

I’ve been impressed with the German government’s changes on the Russian pipeline and aid to Ukraine. How are German citizens reacting to the harsher line toward Russia?

[The Jungle 1]

8. Because a dollar is more important than anything to a republican!

Their religion is money!

[PatSeg]

9. Good for Mr. Sand!

Republicans are always complaining about Democratic spending while they are stealing from the taxpayers. Meanwhile, their voters are usually clueless.

[Bettie]

10. Rob Sand is smart

I hope he eventually runs for governor.

[DFW]

18. I tried like hell to talk him into trying for Grassley's Senate seat

He said he wouldn’t have a chance. If he had known all that would transpire in the last couple of months, he might have reconsidered. But as of now, he is concentrating on getting himself re-elected as State Auditor. I guess I can’t blame him. When is the last time a national media source ever praised a State Auditor for giving that state’s governor hell?

[Bettie]

22. He's great at that job and if

he said he would lose to old Chuckles McBullshit, well, he's probably right.

I'd like to see that seat flip, but people vote for him out of habit. Plus, they seem to love his stupid ad where he ties three lawn mowers together.

[DFW]

23. I've never seen that ad

For that matter, I’ve never been to Iowa.

But I believe the part about people voting for Chuckles out of habit. I worked in the Senate at a time when Carl Hayden, or what was left of him, had to be helped up to the president’s chair by about three guys. It was a painful, embarrassing scene to see every morning.

[Bettie]

24. Skip to 48 seconds if you don't want to hear the drivel

But there it is, in all its weirdness.

He is terrible, but people see him as folksy and they think he still holds town halls in all 99 counties. Not so much anymore, he mostly has closed events with friendly audiences these days.

[DFW]

26. It's drivel, alright, but I can see it's a tailored message

And it probably connects with plenty of people who will never see Washington

[Bettie]

27. It does and it really plays the rural people

He's definitely become more openly unhinged in recent years though. His approval ratings are pretty low, but again, habit.

[dalton99a]

11. Kick

[PatrickforB]

12. The Republican party today represents only lies, corruption, greed, lust for power and

treason.

There are only a few sane ones left after Trump, and their policies are wrong.

But the majority of these Trumpists are batshit crazy. Look at the twins - Batshit Boebert, who heaps shame on Colorado every time she opens her mouth, and Marjorie Traitor Greene, who is so base she followed a kid from Sandy Hook telling him she was packing. These are disgusting, deplorable human beings.

I'm glad for IA, because yet more corruption is being exposed.

[mountain grammy]

13. corruption and grift..

I'm seeing it here in my little town with the awarding of grants.. I've written letters and gathered some information. This article gives me hope and encouragement to take it to the next level.

[Raster]

14. The Republican* Party IS the party of corruption,...

...racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia and outright just crappy-ass people.

#RepublicansAreTheProblem
#GOPBetrayedAmerica
#RepublicansAreDestroyingAmerica
#DeleteTheGOP

[Meowmee]

16. Good work 👏🏻

[Hekate]

17. Thanks for this very encouraging story, DFW

[DFW]

20. Several years ago, we were both in Charleston, SC

He was alone, looking for something to do for dinner. I had my wife and daughters and a few friends, so I asked him if he’d like to join us. He gratefully took me up on my offer, making sure it was no intrusion. I said not at all, and said I hoped he liked Lebanese food. He confessed that he didn’t know, because he had never had it.

Well, we had a great time. I found a new friend in Iowa, a place I have still never been, and he found he liked Lebanese food, a cuisine he had never tasted. I remarked that it was unusual for me to introduce Lebanese food to someone who had never tasted it, and he remarked that it was unusual for him to meet an American who had been to the thirty countries, but had never been to Iowa. We have been friends ever since.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. Because I trust your judgement, my dear DFW, I am supporting him in his run for Auditor.

He is a very smart and ethical Democrat!

I too hope he will run for higher office some day.

[DFW]

21. The fact that you trust my judgment makes me question yours

Just Kidding!!

And thanks for supporting Rob! Iowa needs him, and definitely for higher office down the road.

[Bettie]

25. He is such a nice man too

just an overall good person vibe from him.