Out of the four Republicans running for the contested Senate seat in Iowa, three of them would block any judicial nominee that isn’t a Jesus Freak.
The Iowa-based Religious Right group The Family Leader held a forum for Republican US Senate candidates on Friday, at which the group’s view that “God instituted government” figured heavily. In fact, nearly every candidate at the debate vowed that if they were to be elected to the Senate they would block federal judicial nominees who do not follow what they perceive as “natural law” or a “biblical view of justice.”
In the year 2014 this would narrow the field of acceptable nominees to almost no one. At least not anyone that’s actually qualified.
The head of the Family Leader is Bob Vander Plaats. Plaats, as you may recall, pressured GOP presidential candidates into signing a marriage fidelity pledge in 2012. He later tweaked the language of that pledge so thrice-married Newt Gingrich would become eligible.
This is who we’re up against. Swallow your pride and vote for a blue dog if you have to.