INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, the rising conservative candidate in Iowa’s 1st congressional race, released a video today dismantling a recent attack ad launched by the liberal Democrat incumbent Bruce Braley. In the video, Lange defines Braley’s ad as the same old politics and urges Braley to discuss the real issues facing Eastern Iowans, like rising unemployment and the exploding national debt that, according to President Obama’s own top military advisor, has overtaken terrorism as the single biggest threat to U.S. national security. Lange concludes, “It’s time for a new generation of political leadership that puts principle in front of party.”

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange issued the following statement on Bruce Braley’s recent comments on the Ground Zero mosque controversy and the total disconnect between Bruce Braley and the voters of Eastern Iowa:

Nearly four years ago, Eastern Iowans sent Bruce Braley to Washington on good faith that he would listen to his constituents, represent our interests, and be a voice for Eastern Iowans. Since then, voters of all political stripes — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents — have watched together as Bruce Braley, despite his ‘populist’ rhetoric, has grown further and further apart from middle class families right here in Eastern Iowa.

We’ve watched Bruce grow apart on the issues as he votes for Nancy Pelosi’s legislative agenda 98% of the time, including Obamacare which will insert government into the intimate health care decisions of middle class families, cap-and-trade which would increase utility bills for middle class families by an estimated 20%, and economic policies that have more than doubled unemployment from 4.6% to 9.5% and the national debt from $4.9 trillion to over $13.3 trillion.

We’ve watched Bruce grow apart financially as he now receives 88% of his campaign contributions from non-Iowans and only six constituents — yes, six — contributed to his campaign during the last reporting period.

With his most recent comments regarding the Ground Zero mosque controversy, it is clear that the disconnect between Bruce Braley and Eastern Iowans is widening. According to the Iowa Republican, Bruce Braley recently stated that a plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero, led by an imam with a history of making deeply offensive statements, is simply a ‘local zoning’ issue. Bruce Braley is legally and factually correct — this is a local zoning issue. But to many of us, it is more than that.

On September 11, 2001, our nation watched as Islamic extremists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, national symbols of the American economy and our military might. We watched our fellow citizens jump from the Twin Towers and flee the streets with ghost-like faces. On that day, we were all New Yorkers, and today we hear the echoes of September 11 emanating from Ground Zero.

It is understandable, therefore, that New Yorkers and all Americans would have concerns about a plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero that is being led by an imam who has stated the United States was ‘an accessory’ to 9/11 and that Osama bin Laden was ‘made in the USA.’

The issue is not whether the mosque can be built, as Braley suggests, the issue is whether the mosque should be built. The fact is, Eastern Iowans and all Americans have a stake in Ground Zero. And while I pledge to protect the religious freedom of all Americans, I also pledge to protect the freedom of speech to oppose activities that are insensitive and offensive to the vast majority of Americans.

To chalk this controversy up to merely a ‘local zoning’ issue reflects yet another total disconnect between Bruce Braley and the vast majority of people he represents.

In an article entitled, “The Political Expendables: A baker’s dozen of potential upsets in this fall’s House matchups,” Jim Geraghty of National Review Online lists a dozen campaign match-ups that voters should keep an eye on.  Among these races — Ben Lange vs. Bruce Braley:

Reasons the challenger has a chance: Lange actually narrowly outraised Braley in fundraising for the second quarter, raising $108,587 compared with Braley’s $106,678.  Perhaps even more strikingly, ‘Out of approximately 400,000 registered voters in the district, only six constituents contributed to Braley’s reelection bid this past quarter, while Lange raised 85% of his funds from constituents inside the district.’ The governor’s race appears likely to be a big GOP win; if it is, once and future governor Terry Branstad may have coattails. The Senate race is also likely to be a GOP rout.

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, candidate for United States Congress in Iowa’s 1st District, today released a new online campaign video entitled “Ben Lange: Coming This Fall.” The video depicts Lange’s opponent, the liberal Democrat incumbent Rep. Bruce Braley, alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as representative of “the same old politics.” The remainder of the video introduces Lange as a fresh, new alternative, and emphasizes his deep Iowa roots, family values, and authenticity. The video has a running time of one minute and 19 seconds.

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, candidate for United States Congress in Iowa’s 1st district, issued the following statement concerning the recent flooding of Lake Delhi:

First, I’d like to extend my sincere sympathy to the families whose property has been damaged by this unfortunate event. When the Delhi dam broke, my foremost concern was to ensure public safety, and I commended Governor Culver and Congressman Braley for the immediate steps they took to do the same.

Residents now face a new challenge: who should finance the repairs to the Delhi dam? I initially reserved judgment on whether I would support Rep. Braley’s request for federal funding for the repairs until I had all the facts. Based on the facts as I now understand them, I believe the repairs will require the state and local governments, working in concert with the private sector, to fix the Delhi dam. Despite the political pressure to reach an alternative conclusion, I simply do not believe the federal government should be involved with this local issue because it is a privately-owned dam on a recreational lake.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to read Rep. Braley’s statement yesterday, in which he said that we need to spend federal money to bailout a private entity now, and “then tough choices are going to have to be made.”  I respectfully disagree with the Congressman; our nation has reached a point where tough choices need to be made now.  Rep. Braley’s “spend first, think later” approach to this issue is exactly what is wrong with Congress as a whole, and the kind of thinking that has gotten this country into the fiscal mess we are in today.

Eastern Iowans need a representative in Congress who will make the tough choices first, who will put their long-term economic prosperity and job growth over easy, short-term quick fixes.

INDEPENDENCE, IA – The National Republican Congressional Committee, the national organization dedicated to electing Republican congressional candidates, announced Wednesday that Ben Lange was one of 19 candidates across the country to be placed “On the Radar” for additional national assistance.

The announcement comes weeks after Lange won a competitive primary in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District by the largest margin of victory in recent times, and days after financial disclosures revealed Lange outraised the liberal Democrat incumbent Bruce Braley during the last reporting period.

“These candidates have worked hard to meet the benchmarks set to place them on the road to victory,” said NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions. “With voters frustrated with an out-of-touch Democrat majority, these candidates are willing to take the necessary steps to achieve our goal of retiring Nancy Pelosi and winning and building a lasting Republican majority.”

Website Urges Readers to Keep an Eye on Lange in IA-1

INDEPENDENCE, IA – The Iowa Republican, a leading online source of news and commentary on Iowa politics, has deemed Ben Lange as “the candidate best positioned heading into this fall’s general election.” In an article posted online Monday, the Iowa Republican pointed to Lange’s “newfound fundraising ability” as “a great development for Iowa Republicans” and argued that several factors suggest Lange will be competitive with the liberal Democrat incumbent Bruce Braley in the 2010 midterm elections. “Republicans should feel optimistic about all of their congressional challengers, but the one who has flown under the radar thus far may be the one to keep your eye on,” the article noted.

Disclosures Reveal Braley’s Vulnerability in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, a rising conservative candidate in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, outraised the liberal Democrat incumbent Bruce Braley in fundraising for the 2nd Quarter, according to financial disclosures released yesterday. Lange raised $108,587 compared with Braley’s $106,678.

The disclosures reveal a stunning disconnect between Braley and his constituents in the 1st District. Out of approximately 400,000 registered voters in the district, only six constituents contributed to Braley’s reelection bid this past quarter. Braley was forced to rely instead on out-of-state donors to provide 88% of his support, thereby reopening the issue of outside influence in congressional campaigns.

Lange’s disclosures, on the other hand, reveal a broad-based grassroots fundraising apparatus directly tied to the constituents and interests of the 1st District. In fact, Lange raised 85% of his funds from constituents inside the district. The disclosures also reveal that 96% of Lange’s support came directly from individual donors, whereas Braley relied heavily on political action committees tied to Washington interests.

“The fact that Ben Lange, an inspiring conservative candidate, outraised a liberal incumbent in a conservative district who votes with Nancy Pelosi 98% of the time shouldn’t be surprising,” said Cody Brown, campaign manager for the Lange campaign. “This is a conservative district and voters, regardless of political party, are searching for a genuine conservative alternative to the policies being advanced by President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Congressman Braley. Thankfully, voters of all political stripes, including conservative Democrats, will have an authentic conservative alternative in Ben Lange come November. This is beyond politics, this is about the future of our country.”

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, a rising conservative candidate in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District who has pledged to unite a coalition to defeat the leftist agenda of the liberal Democrat incumbent Bruce Braley, today announced that, on Wednesday, June 2, he will host the “2010 Freedom Forum: Uniting Republicans, Conservatives, and Tea Parties.”

The telephone town hall event will bring together as many as 30,000 Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Partiers from across the district to discuss the challenges facing Eastern Iowa and solutions rooted in constitutional principles of limited government and individual liberty. The event is expected to be the single largest gathering of Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Parties in Eastern Iowa thus far in the 2010 election cycle.

“I decided to hold this town hall because unless we take a stand against the leftist agenda of Bruce Braley in the 2010 elections, my two little girls will know a significantly different America,” Lange said. “Stopping this agenda and offering a compelling conservative alternative will require a coalition of Republicans, conservatives, and Tea Partiers to stand united in our pursuit of freedom. Not all of us will agree on every issue, but I suspect the vast majority will agree that we need less power in Washington, not more. In my judgment, this is the point of agreement that ultimately matters.”

Individuals and members of the press interested in participating in the telephone town hall may send an email to press@langeforcongress.com along with their name, affiliation, and telephone number. The town hall will take place on Wednesday, June 2, at 6pm (CST).

INDEPENDENCE, IA – Ben Lange, a candidate for Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, issued the following statement on today’s passage of the liberal Democrats’ controversial health care bill:

From the beginning of my campaign, I’ve made sound health care reform a centerpiece of my conservative message and agenda throughout the 1st Congressional District. Unfortunately, the health care bill that was passed today over the objections of the American people will fail to achieve the stated goals of lowering costs and health insurance premiums. The bill will add to our national debt and, as important, it will do so at the expense of constitutional principles of limited government and states’ rights. Today is a sad day for our local communities, our states, and our country.

With the passage of this bill, leftist Democrats and the liberal Democrat incumbent here in my home district have pierced fundamental principles underlying limited government. They have now employed the full powers of the federal government against individual citizens by ordering them to purchase health insurance from private companies against their will and directing the IRS to issue punitive fines to those individuals who choose not to comply.

This is not the role of the federal government, and I’m encouraged that Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida will reportedly challenge this action and fight for our freedoms guaranteed by the 10th Amendment and our Constitution. I encourage the Iowa Attorney General to join this fight and live up to our state’s creed: “Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.”

Freedom is not inevitable. Freedom is earned. Freedom is protected — not only in far away lands, but also here at home. This federal encroachment is offensive to Iowans from across the political spectrum who cherish the liberties that our ancestors and forefathers fought and died for. We are stewards of these freedoms for future generations, and today these freedoms suffered a major defeat.

Iowans will remember this day. Bruce Braley, the liberal Democrat incumbent, told the Iowa Press just a few short months ago that voters will judge him in November based on how well he listens to voters. After siding with Nancy Pelosi on every major piece of legislation — including TARP, cap-and-tax, bailouts of big banks and auto companies, increasing the national debt ceiling twice, and increasing federal spending to historic and dangerous levels — he has once again ignored the voice of his district and cast his lot with Ms. Pelosi and a leftist philosophy at the expense of Eastern Iowans. A voter may begin to wonder whether he has taken his job for granted.