Posted by David Fischer on 04/28/09 5:46 PM Last updated 05/07/09 11:34 AM [Newer: Arnold Palmer helps Campaign For Liberty find co-sponsors for HR 1207!] [Older: Freedom and Debt]

Today at 2:30 p.m. about 15 Iowa Campaign For Liberty members met at a parking lot near downtown Des Moines and traveled together to the office of Congressman Leonard Boswell (Democrat from Iowa's 3rd District).  Rep. Boswell is not currently a co-sponsor of HR 1207.

Nobody greeted us as we came into the office so we waited patiently for attention.  Apparently the staff was in a meeting but finally someone discovered our presence.  Looking a bit startled by our unannounced clog in their small office, two staff members including the District Director came out to see what we were there for.  One of our members was somewhat sternly instructed to turn off their video camera but the balance of discussion was positive.

Project Leader and Polk County Co-Coordinator Jeremy DeWitt led the group in presenting materials and petitions in support of HR1207 with nearly 300 signatures.  Staff cordially indicated they couldn't meet with us at the moment but on our asking they were willing to visit further with any of us who wanted to follow up.  They indicated that the materials would be shared with the Congressman and he would be made aware of our visit.

We all shared some polite conversation for 5 or 10 minutes and then we left the office.  Everyone thought it went well and that our presence would effectively put Campaign For Liberty on Congressman Boswell's radar screen.  We'll definitely follow up with his DC office and work to schedule another personal visit with the Iowa staff.

As always, our Campaign For Liberty members really enjoyed each other's company and it turned out to be a great time.  About 20 members here in Polk County are having a cookout tonight and then making phone calls to recruit more Iowans into Campaign For Liberty!

UPDATE MAY 7, 2009:

Yesterday four Iowa Campaign For Liberty members sat down for over an hour with the head of Rep. Boswell's Iowa office.  We had a very friendly discussion about Campaign For Liberty and the growing bipartisan support for HR 1207.  The District Director was intriqued about how we all found each other and we explained how freedom brings together people from a wide spectrum.

As fellow Iowans, we had a fun talk about the Fed, inflation, interest rates, government transparency, and the historic economic cycles that have harmed all Iowans.  We seemed to agree that the government closest to the people is what works best, rather than authority centered in Des Moines or DC.  The Director assured us that she is in contact with Rep. Boswell daily and that she would discuss our visits and HR 1207 with him.  Boswell co-sponsoring HR 1207 sounds like a possibility - keep up the phone calls!  We also asked for an appointment with the Congressman to continue the dialogue and they will work to schedule that for us.

When 15 of us walked in last week they had no idea what Campaign For Liberty was.  But we're all acquainted now.  We felt like our time was really productive and good practice for things to come...

Posted 04/28/09 5:52 PM Steve Hoodjer Parkersburg, IA

Good work guys! I stopped by on my lunch hour to drop off a few dozen signatures at Bruce Braley's Waterloo office. I started into a spiel about the necessity of the bill, but the aide cut me off. Turns out they knew all about it and had "received a lot of literature on that." Braley has not given the issue his attention yet as he has been focused on local issues recently but expects to announce a position soon. There was no indication which way he was leaning, he could vote for the people as he did in the TARP or vote for the bankers as he did the second time TARP came up. The staff was certainly impressed that we had over 90 co-sponsors already.

Posted 04/28/09 6:17 PM groffcole Des Moines, IA

Thanks for sharing David. It was a good time.

Posted 04/28/09 6:41 PM Ryan.Gaba New Lenox, IL

All the members who attended and everyone involved deserve a huge pat on the back! Can you imagine a Congressman hearing about 15 people just walking into his office about some legislation? You guys are a great example of what we need to be successful on this bill. Thank you for posting this!

Posted 04/28/09 10:03 PM MarilyninLakeJackson Lake Jackson, TX

Another great report. Good work David and gang. Way to go!

Posted 04/28/09 10:52 PM IUsharp Santa Fe, NM

300 signatures! not bad. keep it up!

Posted 04/29/09 08:38 AM Justin Kapacinskas Des Plaines, IL

"One of our members was somewhat sternly instructed to turn off their video camera..." I guess that snakes don't like to be confronted with the facts on film. I hope someone with the C4L will give us the official word on this. Isn't a Congressional District office public property?

Posted 04/29/09 09:35 AM groffcole Des Moines, IA

Boswell's office in downtown Des Moines is rented property. Our small group had a conversation with the staff in the office about why his offices were in an office building instead of the federal building. They were selling us the idea that they chose a private office building, as opposed to the federal buildng, because the office building was green. It sure looked white to me.

Posted 04/29/09 3:07 PM TakingBackTheGOP Livermore, CA

Focus your efforts on the House Financial Services Committee Members: 202-224-3121 Committee Members Chairman Barney Frank Democratic members: Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, PA Rep. Maxine Waters, CA Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, NY Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, IL Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, NY Rep. Melvin L. Watt, NC Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, NY Rep. Brad Sherman, CA Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, NY Rep. Dennis Moore, KS Rep. Michael E. Capuano, MA Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, TX Rep. William Lacy Clay, MO Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, NY Rep. Joe Baca, CA Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, MA Rep. Brad Miller, NC Rep. David Scott, GA Rep. Al Green, TX Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, MO Rep. Melissa L. Bean, IL Rep. Gwen Moore, WI Rep. Paul W. Hodes, NH Rep. Keith Ellison, MN Rep. Ron Klein, FL Rep. Charles Wilson, OH Rep. Ed Perlmutter, CO Rep. Joe Donnelly, IN Rep. Bill Foster, IL Rep. Andre Carson, IN Rep. Jackie Speier, CA Rep. Travis Childers, MS Rep. Walt Minnick, ID Rep. John Adler, NJ Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy, OH Rep. Steve Driehaus, OH Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, FL Rep. Alan Grayson, FL Rep. Jim Himes, CT Rep. Gary Peters, MI Rep. Dan Maffei, NY Republican Members Rep. Spencer Bachus, AL Rep. Michael N. Castle, DE Rep. Peter King, NY Rep. Edward R. Royce, CA Rep. Frank D. Lucas, OK Rep. Ron Paul, TX Rep. Donald A. Manzullo, IL Rep. Walter B. Jones , NC Rep. Judy Biggert, IL Rep. Gary G. Miller, CA Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, WV Rep. Jeb Hensarling, TX Rep. Scott Garrett, NJ Rep. J. Gresham Barrett, SC Rep. Jim Gerlach, PA Rep. Randy Neugebauer, TX Rep. Tom Price, GA Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, NC Rep. John Campbell, CA Rep. Adam Putnam, FL Rep. Michele Bachmann, MN Rep. Kenny Marchant, TX Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, MI Rep. Kevin McCarthy, CA Rep. Bill Posey, FL Rep. Lynn Jenkins, KS Rep. Christopher Lee, NY Rep. Erik Paulsen, MN Rep. Leonard Lance, NJ

Posted 04/29/09 9:59 PM Spiker Ames, IA

Everyone is doing a great job! You guys remind me of TR's "Man in the Arena". "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."