Steve King

Steve King Promotes Anti-Health Care Reform March, Compares Organizers To Paul Revere

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 2:24PM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) took to the House floor last night to promote Rep. Michele Bachmann's (R-MN) march on Capitol Hill tomorrow (And inside the hallways, as well!) against the Democrats' health care proposals. And King compared the Americans For Prosperity buses that will be bringing people to the protest to none other than that famous patriot of the American Revolution, Paul Revere.

"There are buses that are coming in from state after state after state, converging on this city," said King. "People are dropping what's important. It's as if Paul Revere had ridden across America and said, 'here's the call, here's the call of your country.'"

(Via Think Progress)

Steve King

Steve King: I Opposed "Yet Another Bill" To Commemorate Slavery, In Order To Protect Judeo-Christian Heritage

Eric Kleefeld | July 8, 2009, 4:20PM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) has released a statement explaining why he opposed a House measure to erect a plaque in the Capitol Visitors Center, recognizing the history of slave labor in the construction of the Capitol. King was the only one to vote "No," and it passed by a 399-1 margin.

King says that he "opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery," because Democrats had used it as a bargaining chip with Republicans who wanted to secure the depiction of the words "In God We Trust" in the Visitors Center -- that America's Judeo-Christian heritage was being held hostage:

"In the Capitol Visitor's Center, we agreed to change the name of the Great Hall - which honored the immigrants that came legally to America - to Emancipation Hall to honor the 645,000 slaves and their descendants who were brought to the United States more than two centuries ago.

"Last night I opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery because it was used as a bargaining chip to allow for the actual depiction of 'In God We Trust' in the CVC. The Architect of the Capitol and liberal activists opposed every reference to America's Christian heritage, even to the extent of scrubbing 'In God We Trust' from the depiction of the actual Speaker's chair in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Steve King

GOP Rep. Steve King Is Only Vote Against Recognizing History Of Slave Labor In Capitol

Eric Kleefeld | July 8, 2009, 2:32PM

Here's an interesting example of those famous lone "No" votes in Congress -- the contrarian who is willing to stand up alone against the overwhelming majority of his or her colleagues, and vote against something that was passing easily.

Yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 399-1 for the Capitol Visitors Center to have a plaque acknowledging the role of slave labor in the construction of the Capitol. The resolution has information in it that even this history fanatic didn't know about -- for example, slave labor was involved in constructing the "Statue of Freedom" atop the Capitol Dome.

The "Yes" votes spanned the ideological spectrum, from Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann on the right to Maxine Waters and Dennis Kucinich on the left. The one vote against: Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

King's office has not yet commented on his reason for the vote.

Late Update: King has now released a statement, explaining that the vote was about protecting America's Judeo-Christian heritage.

Steve King

Steve King Doesn't Get Palin's Resignation

Eric Kleefeld | July 6, 2009, 5:02PM

Here's another Republican who will openly express his puzzlement at Sarah Palin's latest move: Rep. Steve King (R-IA), who doesn't seem to think that Palin has a political future anymore.

"I don't know of anyone who has successfully and voluntarily pulled themselves out of political office and been able to leverage that into more political success," King told The Hill, also adding: "I hope there's something brilliant behind this because she's entirely capable of actually having a grand strategy that the rest of us don't understand."

So think about that: Sarah Palin has managed to do something that even Steve King thinks is odd.

Steve King

Rep. Steve King: Obama And Chávez 'Have Done The Same Thing To Private Business'

Eric Kleefeld | April 21, 2009, 3:22PM

Appearing on C-Span today, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) gave a very interesting spin on the right-wing attacks against President Obama for shaking Hugo Chávez's hand -- saying that Chávez and Obama are so very much alike:

"But something that comes to mind when I see this image, too, is here are two world leaders that have both, within the last month, nationalized huge private-sector companies," said King. "In the case of President Obama, General Motors and Chrysler, at least in effect if not in actuality, and moved it down that path, when he fired the CEO of General Motors, and when he ordered that Chrysler merge with Fiat."

"Those two have done the same thing to private business," King added, "and I think that image also will soak into the minds of investors around the world, and where they want to put their money."