Iowa GOP chair calls on Loebsack to denounce shameful Labor Day comments

DES MOINES—During a Labor Day event yesterday in Iowa City, local Federation of Labor president Jesse Case uttered a disparaging, boorish and sexist comment about Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the GOP nominee in Iowa’s Second District. Democrat Rep. Dave Loebsack, her opponent, apparently stood by and said nothing at his hometown event.

“Loebsack’s opponent and the Koch brothers can kiss our ass,” Case said, according to John Deeth, a Democratic blogger.

“There is no place in civil political discourse for the hateful rhetoric used by Loebsack’s union boss buddy. Congressman Dave Loebsack should immediately denounce it and apologize to Dr. Miller-Meeks for his ally’s behavior,” said Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, a seventh-generation ​livestock farmer and community college professor from Wilton. “Loebsack talks a big game about trying to fix divisive rhetoric and dysfunction in Washington, yet he stayed silent when it happened right next to him.”

“The comments by this union leader and Loebsack surrogate are offensive, sexist and beyond the pale of civil political discourse,” said Trudy Caviness, a member of the Iowa GOP State Central Committee. “Loebsack needs to immediately apologize to Dr. Miller-Meeks and women across Iowa.”