Sam Brownback has added an Iowa businessman, Kevin McLaughlin, to his exploratory committee staff. McLaughlin cited Brownback’s positions on “tax, Social Security, and health care reform” as primary reasons for supporting his campaign. McLaughlin is an investment banker and is an activist for privatizing Social Security.
McLaughlin is also the founder of Iowans for Discounted Taxes, a group that supports the Steve Forbes’ flat tax plan (McLaughlin worked on Forbes’ presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000). IDT, like most Iowa Republican groups, has close ties to other wings of the Republican movement. McLaughlin has frequently posted columns on the Iowa Christian Alliance’s website. The Iowa Christian Alliance’s mission centers on getting people to vote on “Christian principles,” which translates to advocacy of reducing abortion rights, banning gay marriage, and outlawing gambling. McLaughlin will likely try to leverage his seat at the nexus between business and Christian parts of the Iowa caucus.
McLaughlin’s connection to Iowa’s religious right isn’t surprising, but it will be interesting to see whether his business ties bring home support for Brownback. The Kansas senator has painted himself as a “full scale conservative” and presumably that will extend beyond social value issues. McLaughlin will try to bring attention to Brownback on the issues that he’s trumpeted himself: cutting taxes on the investor class and privatizing Social Security.
Brownback is much scarier as a multi-dimensional candidate, though he’s only at 1% in the KCCI poll (PDF link). Then again, it’s December 2006, so it’s too early to meaningfully predict the impact of McLaughlin, let alone the “full bore conservative” brand.
Technorati Tags: 2008 Presidential election, Iowa, Sam Brownback
2 Responses to “Brownback Adds Iowa Businessman”
[...] Recent Comments Emboldened » Blog Archive » Brownback Adds Flat Tax to His Platform on Brownback Adds Iowa BusinessmanMatt Ortega on Bring On The Anti-BushMatt Browner Hamlin on Bring On The Anti-BushYou Decide 2008 » Blog Archive » Tancredo clarifies his intentions on Tancredo To Decide TodayMatt Ortega on Paul Launches PEC Website … Well, Sort Of [...]
Something to say?
[...] Last month Brownback hired Kevin McLaughlin, an Iowa businessman who’d worked on both of Steve Forbes presidential campaigns, to work on his exploratory campaign. McLaughlin has been a strong proponent of the flat tax in Iowa. I wrote at the time: Sam Brownback has added an Iowa businessman, Kevin McLaughlin, to his exploratory committee staff. McLaughlin cited Brownback’s positions on “tax, Social Security, and health care reform” as primary reasons for supporting his campaign. McLaughlin is an investment banker and is an activist for privatizing Social Security. McLaughlin is also the founder of Iowans for Discounted Taxes, a group that supports the Steve Forbes’ flat tax plan (McLaughlin worked on Forbes’ presidential campaigns in 1996 and 2000). IDT, like most Iowa Republican groups, has close ties to other wings of the Republican movement. McLaughlin has frequently posted columns on the Iowa Christian Alliance’s website. The Iowa Christian Alliance’s mission centers on getting people to vote on “Christian principles,” which translates to advocacy of reducing abortion rights, banning gay marriage, and outlawing gambling. McLaughlin will likely try to leverage his seat at the nexus between business and Christian parts of the Iowa caucus. [...]
Left by Emboldened » Blog Archive » Brownback Adds Flat Tax to His Platform
January 15, 2007 at 11:14pm