Someone needs to let Terry Branstad know that the cold temperatures make it a bad time of year for flip-flops in Iowa, Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan said Thursday.

Branstad isn’t even officially a candidate yet, but his recent campaign remarks have repeatedly contradicted his own actions as Governor. The issues involved aren’t small – they’re significant policy decisions.

“He has not explained why he changed his position on any of these important issues,” Kiernan said. “Taxin’ Terry apparently has no core convictions and has decided to say whatever he thinks will get him the nomination of his party in 2010.”

“Voters want to know if a politician will stand with them when it counts, and with Branstad’s recent flip-flops, who can tell what he stands for?” said Kiernan.

Since launching his “exploratory” campaign this fall, candidate Branstad has contradicted Governor Branstad on several topics, including:

• The use of public bonding (and the debt that accompanies it) to fund state projects.
• Funding the Iowa State Patrol out of the state’s road use tax fund to relieve pressure on the state general fund during difficult budget times.
• The elimination of federal tax deductibility from Iowa income taxes.

[Sourcing and support material on each of these topics is available at www.iowaknowsbetter.com. Don’t miss the exclusive new video of Branstad’s comments on his efforts to eliminate federal tax deductibility as Governor.]

“If campaigns are about trust, Terry Branstad undermines his own credibility on a daily basis,” Kiernan said. “Iowans cannot afford his flip-flops on such important issues to go without scrutiny.”

Click here for information on public bonding.

Click here for information on the road use tax fund

Click here for information on federal deductibility.