The Fall of an American Icon

By Albert Bregar | 05/19/09

  Do you know what the definition of an icon is? According to Microsoft Encarta one of the definitions of an icon is a picture or symbol that is universally recognized to be representative of something. So as I have been watching the troubles plaguing America’s auto industry I realized that we are watching in real time the fall of an American Icon. General Motors is a symbol of what America is. As General Motors grew from its meager... read more »

The Narcissim of Doug Gross

By Albert Bregar | 05/14/09

Doug Gross is quickly becoming an embarrassment to Iowa Republicans. The former gubernatorial candidate has been relentless in his quest to find a candidate for Governor that he finds acceptable. However his search has not yielded the results that he has hoped for. And to top this off he has been constant in his lecturing of the party faithful that they need to compromise their beliefs in order regain the seats of power in Iowa government. And... read more »

Passenger Rail: Reviving the Dinosaur

By Albert Bregar | 05/13/09

  In the early part of the century passenger rail service was the preferred method of long-distance travel. Then along came more advanced methods of transportation; the automobile and the airplane. These methods quickly replaced rail as the most common methods of transportation. This precipitated a sharp decline in rail service until the 1970’s. It was in 1971 that the federal government decided to create Amtrak, the government... read more »

Postville Paradox

By Albert Bregar | 05/12/09

Immigration reform is on the minds of some residents of Postville, IA today as they observe the anniversary of one of the nation’s largest immigration raids. It was one year ago today that the community of Postville was rocked by the immigration raid on the Agriprocessors meat packing plant in Postville. With warrant in hand the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended upon this small Iowa community to conduct an... read more »

Anticipating 2010

By Albert Bregar | 05/04/09

Barring a special session the Iowa legislative session has come to a close. Now Iowa Republicans can turn their attention toward rebuilding the party in anticipation of the 2010 election cycle. This cycle will be critical for all Iowan’s as it will determine whether the state continues to be saddled with the financially irresponsible incumbent Chet Culver or if the voters of the state choose to replace him. The 2010 election cycle has... read more »

Culver and Gronstal Continue Assault on Iowa's Future

By Albert Bregar | 04/25/09

As the end of this year’s session of the Iowa General Assembly draws near tempers are beginning to flare at the statehouse. This is especially so when the legislation being debated is controversial, such as the Governor’s bonding proposal known as I-Jobs. A portion of this bonding proposal was voted upon in the Iowa Senate this afternoon, and ultimately it was passed by a vote of 30-18. It has been pointed out time and time again... read more »

Guest Commentary: Pushing for a Nation of Liars by Ryan Rhodes

By Albert Bregar | 04/23/09

I hope I have your attention because now it’s time to ask yourself a serious question about the direction of America and how we got here. Once again on a national stage we have seen something very dangerous from the left as they push people to tell them what they want to hear instead of the truth. This however isn’t simply a fault of the liberals, as I got to thinking across the board we are pushing people into telling lies. When... read more »

Guest Commentary: What Happened to Reasoning in America?

By Albert Bregar | 04/21/09

Now I understand that there is a difference of opinion when it comes to the definition of marriage. But have we become so ignorant and intolerant that thoughtful debate and reasoned argument is no longer possible?  How far from the founding have we drifted? Now I don’t think we should run around yelling at each other all day but please I beg of you let reason and debate bring us forward. We have an education system that is... read more »

Register's Editorial Board Throws Needy Under the Bus

By Albert Bregar | 04/17/09

One of the most important tasks delegated to the Iowa Senate is the task of vetting the Governor’s appointees to the various state agencies. They must carefully weigh the information available to them to determine whether that individual is fit to lead the designated state agency. In this deliberation many state senator declined to confirm the appointment of several of Governor Culver’s appointees this week. In a surprising show... read more »

Profiles in Courage:Defending Iowa Values

By Albert Bregar | 04/16/09

  Because of the nature of politics a large majority of the blog posts on the Iowa Defense Alliance tend to be highly critical of politicians and policies. Rare is the post that provides a positive light on our government or our politicians. Because of this we have decided to highlight some of the unsung heroes of the conservative movement. This may or may not be a weekly occurrence, but if any of our readers knows of an individual that... read more »