Flip-flops — not just for the beach

Posted on Nov 24, 2009 by James Q. Lynch.

The weather may be getting cooler, but it’s still flip-flop weather for Iowa politics.

Terry Branstad

Roxanne Conlin

Gov. Tim Pawlenty

According to recent news releases, Democratic U.S. Roxanne Conlin, former Gov. Terry Branstad and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty have all been spotted in the traditionally summer footwear.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee charged Conlin with a flip-flop on whether she will accept money from lobbyists. She won’t take contributions from federal lobbyists, Conlin says, but state lobbyists’ money is OK.

“But Roxanne Conlin’s complete flip-flop on taking campaign donations from lobbyists seriously calls her credibility and trustworthiness into question,” according to the GOP committee. “Having broken a key campaign promise less than two weeks into her Senate bid, it’s clear Iowa voters are going to have a hard time taking anything Conlin says seriously.”

Flip-flops are bipartisan political footwear, however. The Iowa Democratic Party claims Terry Branstad flip-flopped on his promise not to attack fellow Republicans seeking the party’s nomination for governor. Questioning Bob Vander Plaats strategy for ending same-sex marriage — “Do you know any state that has restored one-man, one-woman marriage through executive order?” — constituted an attack, Democrats said.

Early this month, the IDP caught Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a flip-flop, calling his change of heart fighting climate change was nothing more than “pandering to the farthest reaches of the right wing in hopes of winning the nomination,” according to Iowa Democratic Chairman Michael Kiernan.

Flip-flops, they’re not just for summer.