Former Republican Presidential Candidate, Rick Santorum, was on hand today to kick off the four day, 17 stop No Wiggins Bus Tour sponsored by Iowans for Freedom, The FAMiLY Leader, CitizenLink, Patriot Voices, National Organization for Marriage and CatholicVote.org. The first stop was at the Iowa State Capitol where Tamara Scott, The Iowans for Freedom Co-Chair, reminded Iowans that the Iowa State Bar Association gave Iowa Supreme Court Justice Wiggins a rating of 63% which, she added, essentially means they gave him a D-.
Bob Vander Plaats in his speech said that it is “unconscionable” for any representative from the Iowa State Bar Association to defend Judge Wiggins when he did so poorly on their own assessment. Vander Plaats said reading the assessment tool that essentially members of the Iowa Bar said that Judge Wiggins is arrogant, confrontational, not bright and lazy. “Take the Varnum opinion out of there, he does not deserve to be on the bench.”
Vander Plaats reminded those gathered that in 2010 over 1/2 million Iowans vote no on the retention of Iowa Supreme Court justices Marsha Ternus, David Baker and Michael Streit. He said they wanted to take politics out of the process so they asked the remaining four to resign so that Iowa wouldn’t have to have an election like that again. Vander Plaats said they refused to do that even though they too were guilty of the same thing that the three ousted judges were guilty of.
Vander Plaats also spoke about the “media elite” who through op/eds and editorials have been speaking out against ousting Justice Wiggins. He said Iowans will often here that “It’s just one opinion” when they make their case against ousting Justice Wiggins. Vander Plaats said, “Dred Scott – one opinion – blacks are property. Roe v. Wade – one opinion – the result – we have killed 60 million babies today. Varnum opinion – one opinion – and we are redefining the institution of marriage in Iowa. Are you kidding me?”
Vander Plaats warned that this wasn’t about just marriage, but for every right Iowans (including the media) hold dear. He said, “If they can redefine the definition of marriage they won’t blink an eye when they take away your private property, when they take away your guns, when they tell you how to educate your children, when they take away your religious liberty, or when they take away your freedom of the press.”
Rick Santorum said that with judicial activism there is no greater problem when it comes to people’s liberties. He reminded those gathered that under the Constitution the judicial branch has a limited role. “Our founders understood that the role of the court was not to be one that was preeminent. Same is true with the state.” Santorum said, “Courts are there to be arbiter between the two branches and between private citizens. They were not the ones to direct and set policy.”
Santorum also echoed Vander Plaats statement about the retention vote being a bipartisan concern, “Even if you don’t agree with my position on the issue of marriage understand the danger of allowing judges to determine what the law of the land is, running roughshod over the Constitution and the laws of the state,” Santorum warned. “It is a danger to people on both sides of the aisle. There is as much of a chance of conservative judicial activism as there is liberal judicial activism.”
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will join the tour on Wednesday. The latest poll taken on this issue last month showed Iowans divided over the issue of Justice Wiggins detention with 38% saying they will vote for retention and 38% saying they would vote no.
Here is the video of Rick Santorum’s speech:
Here is the video of Bob Vander Plaats’ remarks:
Here is the video of Tamara Scott’s speech