The political arm of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is devoting a significant portion of its campaign budget this year to the District 4 congressional race in northwest Iowa.
That race pits Congressman Steve King—a frequent critic of HSUS—against Christie Vilsack, wife of U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
HSUS is running TV ads that criticize King for his opposition to bills related to dogfighting and other pet protection proposals. But the HSUS ads don’t mention the battles they’ve had with King on agricultural issues, which King says is the real reason he’s being attacked.
“They’re attacking me because I have stepped up to defend the feed grain production and the livestock production that we have here,” King says, “and so they create other issues to divert the attention of the voters.
“But the truth is, if you let them have their way—and, of course, Christie Vilsack is supported by them, so you have to believe that she supports their agenda—they’re anti-meat and, by the way, they’re anti-pet ownership, too.
Earlier this year, King was successful in adding an amendment to the House version of the farm bill that prohibits states from regulating the means of production of agriculture products. King claims that is what is really behind the HSUS attack ads.
Meanwhile, Christie Vilsack was asked about the HSUS advertising during a campaign event in LeMars, Iowa.
“I don’t have any control over the Humane Society—they can do what they’re going to do, just like all the other independent expenditures,” Vilsack says.
“But as far as the Humane Society, they’ll have to make their decisions on their own about where they’re going to put their money and how they’re going to advertise.”
The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) earlier tried to make a one-thousand dollar contribution to the Vilsack campaign. But campaign officials say they declined the donation, citing their policy of not accepting money from groups that lobby the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The president of the HSLF, Mark Markarian, has called King “the self-appointed leader of opposing animal welfare laws in Congress”. He says King has “one of the most extreme voting records on animal protection in the entire nation.”
Markarian refused Brownfield’s request for an interview.
Dennis Morrice, KLEM Radio, LeMars, Iowa contributed to this story.
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Few people realize that the HSUS wants to be a political power & uses that $19.95/month to accomplish that goal.
If EVERYONE WHO DONATED anything to a MISREPRESENTED cause really knew just how many of our ELDERLY and UNINFORMED neighbors and aquaintances give a portion of their own medicine and food money to this and other similar SUPPOSEDLY NON-PROFIT organizations who profess to help and SAVE all animals, but legitimately GIVE ONLY ONE PENNY ON A DOLLAR of their money to any sort of animal assistance or even legitimate animal shelter help–THEY WOULD JUST GIVE A STRAY DOG OR CAT “LEFT-OVERS” from their own meals. OR contact SOMEONE from a legitimate CARING (PROVEN) nearby shelter to come by and pick up the leftovers or a BAG OF DOG/CAT FOOD or COUPON GOOD FOR “X” NUMBER OF VACCINES good at a vets office where they have paid for them ahead of time. I LOVE ALL ANIMALS! but, some of our HUMAN COUNTERPARTS are so underhanded and unashamed—WHERE IS THEIR CONSCIENCE? A FRIEND of mine tried to GIVE A BAG OF PUPPY FOOD to a local HUMANE SOCIETY who advertises a “NO KILL” SHELTER AND they REFUSED IT saying the puppies they had WOULD NOT EAT ANOTHER MEAL!!! They also refused to let him have the puppies! Just make sure you check into what you are giving your money too! That’s all I am trying to get across here! and, I have been researching quite a lot recently–EVERYONE NEEDS to know the DIFFERENCE BETWEEEN ANIMAL WELFARE AND ANIMAL RIGHTS’ AGENDAS—
Steve King fights hard to keep our agriculture thriving in Iowa. Christie Vilsack won’t. Her husband may be the US Ag Secretary, but was well-known as the worst governor Iowa ever had. He and his wife share the same values. Iowa is and always has been an Ag state. Our farmers are a huge part of our state income through domestic and overseas trade. HSUS is working hard across this country to cripple livestock producers to the point of putting them out of business. Both Vilsacks vote to help ensure that will happen and that’s the reason they donate to their campaigns and why they have put over $100,000.00 into ads to try to put Steve King out of congress and get Christie Vilsack in. Steve King stands up for animal WELFARE and very strongly against ANIMAL RIGHTS groups who want livestock and pets gone. While Christie Vilsack’s campaign may have refused the $1000.00 donation, her principles fall short when she doesn’t refute the more than 10 times that amount spent hy HSUS for ads against King that are in her favor. In my book, that’s no different than if she had accepted the funding directly.
I wondered why Ms. Valsick donated 5 thousand dollars to HSUS just a couple of months ago. Ms. Valsick and her husband need to go. Certainly neither will or has helped the ag community. It is sad when a vegan animal rights movement, lobbying group takes over the USDA and lobbys for the USA elections. I bet many who donate to the animal rights agenda do not realize this. If you have not figured it out as yet, HSUS wants to end all animal ownership, including those we eat.
In two weeks, Rep. Steve King will win and HSUS will lose. And HSUS will continue to lose, as losers tend to do.