Iowa's longest-serving GOP lawmaker joins the Democrats

[struggle4progress]

By Jamie Ehrlich, CNN
Updated 11:35 PM ET, Tue April 23, 2019

Washington (CNN)The Iowa Legislature's longest-serving Republican announced Tuesday that because of President Donald Trump, he will be joining the Democratic Party, calling Trump "a poor example for the nation and particularly for our children."

State Rep. Andy McKean, who has served in both Iowa's Senate and House chambers, identified with the Republican Party for 35 years before Tuesday's announcement and is the longest-serving Republican in the state's Legislature today, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

"With the 2020 president election looming on the horizon, I feel as a Republican that I need to be able to support the standard bearer of our party. Unfortunately, that is not something I am able to do," McKean said at a news conference.

"He sets, in my opinion, a poor example for the nation and particularly for our children by personally insulting -- often in a crude and juvenile fashion -- those who disagree with him, being a bully at a time when we we are attempting to discourage bullying, his frequent disregard for the truth and his willingness to ridicule or marginalize people for their appearance, ethnicity or disability," McKean said ...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/23/politics/andy-mckean-iowa-gop-lawmaker-change-party/index.html

[RandySF]

1. Picture this

Republicans have a trifecta in Iowa and he gave up all of that seniority to join us.

[struggle4progress]

2. Fare thee, Titanic, fare thee well!

[Cha]

4. +1!

[Cha]

3. I know! It's that

bad!

[Bigredhunk]

5. Great News!

AM is a decent guy. We called him during the IA repug push to F with collective bargaining. Got him at home of all places, and he spent a good 1/2 hour to 45 min on the phone with us. He was leaning toward voting against screwing teachers, etc... He ended up voting the right way, thankfully.

He was a repug, but he seemed to genuinely care about what his constituents wanted. So glad to see he changed parties. I'll have to give him a call and let him know we're proud of him!

[OnDoutside]

7. You should do, that's nice to hear. I'm sure he's getting a lot of Trumper hate right now, so he

could use all the support he could get.

[Control-Z]

6. This is good!

I will not demean or show disrespect when a Republican publicly changes party. It will be only a few, at best I expect, but most of those who have spoken out have something the rest of their party lacks.

I think we should give them credit, and possibly reason to stick with us after the crisis is over. At least for this election.

[JohnZSmith]

8. It's sure taking long enough...

...for some rats to FINALLY jump ship!

[susanna]

9. I hope for more people to wake/rise up

in the wake of this disaster we are living.