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This is a transcript of the March 14 meeting that launched the Central_Iowa_Freedom_Forum. The recording was very problematic; out of the hour and 45 minute meeting recording, only 20 minutes of the audio could be understood. I thank God that it was the most important 20 minutes - the most relevant to understanding this vision. The video is posted at Substack.com.

Transcript of March 14 Launch of the Central Iowa Freedom Forum

Opening Prayer

Prayer by Ernie Rudolph: Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for this gathering. Thank you for the great country you’ve given us. Now we ask your blessing on saving it. Preserving it. And bringing it back in the way You saw it in the first place. Watch over all our elected officials. Watch over their choices and decisions. Help ___ that will honor You, and do the same for us. We pray this in the Name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Followed by Pledge of Allegience)

Guest Speaker State Representative Eddie Andrews

...(Dave Leach, helping me doorknock several Mondays, rode his bicycle) all over Saylorville, knocking doors, delivering palm cards, and writing letters to people, I’ve never seen anyone who can write more than what’s on the palm card ....

Let me just say I’ve never been on Zach Nunn’s level (Wes: “you don’t wanna be”) that’s a whole different animal, it really is. At least on the legislative level, in my opinion, by far we have the best team. I’m ridiculously blessed. Don’t deserve the team that we have. We would have a morning crew. And then an afternoon crew.

How a Forum could supplement statehouse research staff, enabling lawmakers to do their job better – Eddie Andrews

And Dave started pondering, “wouldn’t it be neat if all these people who are trying to get you elected would start talking [together, in a forum] about different topics and not just stop [meeting, working] on November 5 [election day]. Talking about different ideas, thoughts, policies...

I think Dave envisions a think tank to start talking about ideas going deep, and some ideas supporting candidates at the legislative level, at the congressional level, so that we [lawmakers] can be better informed. [So that volunteers would] still be active, and support their candidates in that way [also]. And I think that was the purpose of [this meeting]. [To Dave] Did I get it close? Is that all you wanted me to do? [Dave answer: “that’s up to you”]

...I can tell you that one of the things, it was difficult for people like myself, is we have, let me think the House and Senate has, there’s four different [research] staff. In the House there’s a Republican staff, a Democrat staff. In the Senate there’s a Republican staff, and a Democrat staff. I also think we have a great staff.

But, a question about mental health. Legal question about foster care. [I ask staff] about this. I have an issue about public safety. I talk to ____, What are your thoughts about this? And she’ll tell me. I’ve been working on a property tax bill. Forever! I ask about the numbers on that. I talk to ____ who says “Absolutely the numbers add up! What are you talking about?”

And then the staff goes back and forth.

Why do I name names you guys don’t know? The point I am trying to make is that we do have a staff that helps us. But we don’t have a TEAM of staff. I think that’s where we rely on one or two people but we can only go so far. The more we can be active, the more we can [bring in more brainpower] the more I can do my job better. Or [the more] Zach Nunn [can do his job better].

Spiritual Battle

Thank you, guys, for being around us. We need your prayers. That’s probably not where you want to go with this, but you’d be surprised, that this really is a spiritual battle. Somebody told me that when I first started. I thought Oh my goodness! You’re not [telling me the half of it] There’s so many things we have lots of conversations... please keep your prayers coming.

Wes Enos: The “Good Works” that the Congressional Staff does, that a Forum could do

Wes Enos: ...I’m Wes Enos. I’ve been around for a fairly long time. In my official capacity as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Zach Nunn, ...We do a lot of case work. ...People running into issues with maybe their benefit isn’t being paid off properly. Maybe they’re having trouble getting a passport. Or just anything ...with a government agency, we help people with that. We do a lot of stuff with “stakeholder relationships”. Where cities, counties, nonprofits, Chamber of Commerce. We try and go out and find as many people as we can who are looking for help with different things. We try and get other people connected to each other. A [web] of connections and we’re kind of in the center of it. We connect people with needs to people who can meet them. And our ability to do anything depends on our ability to build relationships with people.

...Everyone wants to have conversations, [with Congressman Nunn], everyone wants “access”, so we use that as an opportunity to build friendships and relationships , build [bridges] for different groups of people on how to navigate differences.

And we do those sorts of things, somebody over here says I need this. Well, people over here, have the ability to do this. So we connect them together. We basically create a giant web of connections to get a lot of things done for people. Without [them] having to spend a dime or be able to do anything....

That’s a great example of why the “private sector” is the best way to handle those needs rather than the government. In government, our role is basically just to connect people in the private sector who are already doing things to people who need those things. We literally exist just to facilitate those relationships.

It’s the way that government could and should be. [It’s the direction government is moving under Trump] and I’m excited for that.

Dave talked to me, what was it, two years ago? When you first came up with this idea, I’m going to put together a think tank that will be constantly be thinking about – Dave, as far back as I’ve been doing this. You know, I told the story earlier. I got involved in 1994. I was 14 years old. My dad was our scout leader. And dad decided that we needed me to be an Eagle Scout. So part of getting our Star Scout designation was you had to do community service for a campaign.

We didn’t know anything about that. There was no internet back then. So dad thought, who is the Republican candidate running for the Iowa House in Altoona?

Altoona now is Bill Gustoff’s district. We think of it as more of a Republican leaning area. Back then it was one of the most secure Democrat strongholds in the state. So Republicans even running out there was uncommon.

[Dave Leach note: I got myself on the ballot in Altoona in 1988, ‘90. When I contacted the party mucky mucks for support or at least interest, they said they had no interest in knowing my qualifications or lack thereof, my fame or infamy, because it was all so irrelevant; Altoona was unwinnable for Republicans. But with the doorknocking I did in the ‘88 campaign, I got subscribers that launched my Prayer And Action News which I kept going for 25 years; weekly at first. I had run as a Democrat in ‘86, where I had been registered for 20 years. When Pat Robertson ran in Iowa in ‘87, where he took second place in the Straw Poll, as an unembarrassed Christian, that, along with my experience as a Democrat, showed me I was a Republican. Steve Scheffler organized Iowa for Robertson. He supplied me with about 50 names of members of First Assembly church which he got from their church directory. So many people showed up for the caucus that we had to quickly find a bigger venue.]

So this guy, Larry Disney, a former state representative, great guy, thought “I’m not going to just let Democrats have this”. So he stuck his name on the ballot and started running. Dad found Larry. I don’t know how. Said “I’ve got two boys, they’re both Republicans, and they want to earn their Star badge. They want to do some volunteer work. What have you got for them?”

Larry said “Well, I’m out knocking doors. You wanna have them come knock doors with me?”

So my dad, 1994, invites, this complete stranger after one call [puts us in the back of a Volkswagon Beetle].

Another benefit of a forum: to keep Republicans passionate and active – complacency will cost us the next election

....The reason we struggle with mid-term elections is more about the average voter...to get out and knock doors and be a part of county convention [when our candidates win, get complacent and stop working, stop showing up at events] but the other side is demanding, fighting, ready to fight. Our side, “We’re good. We’re happy.” So we struggle to keep our people showing up. We struggle to make our people excited. We struggle to keep that fire that elected President Trump. We think things are fine.

But we can’t do that. Because the other side, they don’t think things are fine. They’re angry, and they are going to show up in big numbers. And if we don’t have groups of people who are deeply passionate and ready to show up and defend what we’re doing right now, they’re going to do a lot of damage. If they get control of the House of Representatives and God forbid they get control of the Senate, that’s going to be the end of Donald Trump’s presidency. They will spend everything they have in terms of political power to derail him. We will start immediately with investigations. We will start impeachment hearings. They will start with everything they can do to stop everything he’s doing right.

That’s what happens if we get complacent.

To keep this, we have to keep that fire burning. Because if we don’t, we go into a tough year. And we’ll lose what we just gained.

So I’m excited to be here. I’m excited that Dave wants county leadership helping keep this fire burning. Everyone showing up tonight despite a tornado warning. What a time to launch this group! Because without that fire burning, we’re all in deep trouble.

Dave (me): Wes said such nice things about me that I feel some responsibility to provide a reality check. I attended a funeral yesterday, and it occurred to me that at my own funeral, I’m sure a lot of people will show up, just to make sure I stay in the casket. I am so grateful to God that despite my many mistakes and stupid things I’ve done, God is still willing to use us.

Future Meetings

Eddie, later, responding to discussion about holding monthly meetings: Another thing, like if you want to get a local person [to come speak to your meeting] I don’t think you want to wait a month. You want to have somebody next week. To give like an update. I think it’s more beneficial during the session [than to wait until May when it will end for this year].

Dave: How many people should show up at a physical meeting, is there any kind of number of people [that would make the lawmaker feel his time wasn’t wasted coming?]

Eddie: At least 15. [14 is how many showed up that night, besides him.]

Paul: We want to make sure we get that for a minimum?

Eddie: Yeah.

Dave: Peter Rogers, on the South Side, has set up a South Side conservative group. So at the South Side library Tuesday, he’s going to have Jeff Kaufman, head of the Iowa Republican Party. Tuesday evening.

Carol: I would suggest you guys get together and maybe set up a zoom meeting.

Dave: Shall we set it – not wait a month, as that right, [are we agreed?] A zoom meeting for next Friday, March 21?

Lyle: Same thing, 6:30 to 8. I’ll get hold of you and stuff and maybe we can get [a speaker like Eddie suggested].

Eddie: We’ve got 52 bills this week. We killed one on taking away [the prohibition] on fireworks for 3 straight days including July 4. The cities blew up over that. We have another bill that would take away the exception for libraries from our laws against obscenity.

Later, Eddie closing prayer:

Father, we thank you for your grace, for your mercy, for your love, and for placing us in this country where we truly are blessed. Because of your grace, because of the men who formed this country, who decided to put You first. Help us Lord, if we navigate politically, as was mentioned earlier, to make the right decisions in everything that we do. Give to you honor, respect, fellow men and fellow women involved, that everything that we do honors you. We give you the praise, honor. The people gathered here today for the right purpose, for the love of our fellow man and our country. Amen.