?Iowa Boy? Offenburger crossways with GOP

Man about Iowa Offenburger spoke recently at a Southwest Iowa leadership conference

Former Des Moines Register ?Iowa Boy? columnist Chuck Offenburger considers himself a ?good Republican,? but he may be tossed from the Greene County Republican Central Committee Thursday night.

Offenburger faces a political show trial of sorts at the meeting because he publicly endorsed Democrat Christie Vilsack in her race against U.S. Rep. Steve King.

That has earned him and his future on the committee a spot on the agenda for Thursday night?s meeting.

?They have a rule that you have to support all Republican candidates and I consider that an infringement on my free speech rights,? said Offenburger, who retired from the Register in 1998? but has continued to be one of Iowa?s most prolific writers in books, magazines and his own Offenburger.com website.

Offenburger today lives in a farmhouse with wife Carla near Cooper, south of Jefferson.

The former newspaper columnist-turned-political activist has kept his characteristic sense of humor about the confrontation Thursday. Far from dreading the showdown, Offenburger is looking forward to it.

?I?ll? get to speak,? he said. ?That should be fun.?

?It?s part of the process, and I love politics,? said Offenburger, who in 1972 left his native Shenandoah for Des Moines and a reporting job with the Register. From the late 1970s to his retirement Offenburger?s ?Iowa Boy? column was a staple in the Register.

Once freed of journalistic requirements of objectivity, Offenburger discovered he was a ?Bob Ray Republican,? in his words.

That worked out great for Robert Ray, who defined moderate politics as one of Iowa?s most popular governors ever from 1969 to 1983. But in a more politically strident era, Offenburger?s political philosophy might hit a few rough edges in today?s GOP.

For instance, Offenburger is pro-life. But he?s also pro gay marriage and is in favor of ObamaCare (perhaps not surprising for a cancer survivor). In the current political cycle he supports Mitt Romney.

Offenburger?s backing of Christie Vilsack came from an old friendship and a shared love of writing and books. Christie Vilsack, wife of former Iowa governor and now U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, was frequent contributor to Offenburger?s website.

Offenburger said he doesn?t have anything against Rep. King, whom he says he likes personally. But he says he ?abhors? King?s politics.

Offenburger and his wife Carla have another quirk even more pronounced than being political moderates; they don?t have a television and get their political news and information from the internet and newspapers.

?It?s amazing how different politics looks when you don?t watch television,? said Offenburger. ?You don?t see the attack ads and you can get serious information that?s not on TV.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/IowaPolitics/~3/99GNOb5qjjc/

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