(DES MOINES) – Praise continues to pour in for Gov. Branstad’s nominees for the Iowa Board of Regents. Below are the most recent excerpts (emphasis added):
The Daily-Iowan (Iowa City):
It seems that the opposition to Branstad’s picks for the regents is, in large part, political…
The Editorial Board recognizes that the Senate absolutely has the right to confirm or deny any candidates appointed by the governor to the regents, but we do not believe that the Senate should turn the nomination process into an overtly partisan affair.
We have seen, in Washington, the deleterious effects of a hyper-partisan nomination process. Just this year, we have seen a few ugly confirmation battles in Washington, most notably the ultimately unsuccessful Republican filibuster of Chuck Hagel, now the secretary of Defense…
Indeed, we believe that the governor should have, within reason, some degree of freedom in the nomination process. Particularly with regard to Lang’s renomination, the Senate seems to be obstructing the confirmation process on insufficient, partisan grounds…
…the Senate majority should not obstruct the confirmation process for Lang and his fellow nominees on purely political grounds. It is a disservice to the political process. The Daily Iowan
The Des Moines Register:
Both Lang and Cramer deserved the careful public scrutiny they have gotten in the Senate, but unless something new comes to light, we see no reason why both should not be confirmed…
The purpose of putting key gubernatorial appointments before the Senate for confirmation is a critically important legislative check on the state’s chief executive. It is a reminder that the people appointed to important positions represent the public interest, not just the governor’s.
As a rule, however, the Senate should approve the governor’s choices unless senators have reason to believe an appointee is clearly unfit for the job. That does not appear to be the case with these three appointees. The Des Moines Register
Chuck Offenburger (Offenburger.com):
I think Lang is particularly visionary about Iowa’s role and responsibility in feeding the world, and also about the great economic potential for the state in international trade.
As I told listeners to KMA radio in my hometown of Shenandoah last week, there is another reason Lang should be confirmed. He has something very important he can give to the students at our state universities. Most of those students know very little about farming, and even less about agricultural policy and food policy. Lang is one of the best spokesmen for all that I’ve ever heard.
Several times over the years, I’ve been at events when he explained it all for general audiences, using personal stories, colorful anecdotes and meaningful statistics. He is also cool enough that he can take questions from an audience, even loaded questions, and give good answers without getting defensive. People leave his presentations with real understanding and new appreciation for Iowa’s most important industry…
I think he’s a very effective public servant, and I hope the Iowa Senate will keep him in place on the Board of Regents. Offenburger.com
