Bob Vander Plaats

Social Conservative Leader Calls For Movement To 'Coalesce Around Santorum'

Posted 01.05.2012

Read More: Video, Social Conservatives, Social Conservatives Meeting, Santorum, Mitt Romney 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Rick Santorum 2012, Vander Plaats, Politics News

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire--A group of social conservative leaders are to meet in Texas this weekend to try to coalesce around a Republican preside...

Read Whole Story

Santorum Warns Of 'Indoctrination Centers'

AP | THOMAS BEAUMONT | Posted 02.27.2012

Read More: Iowa Caucus, Video, 2012 Elections, Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucuses, Rick Santorum, Elections 2012, Rick Santorum 2012, Iowa Caucus 2012, Politics News

MASON CITY, Iowa — Rick Santorum isn't going down without a fight. In fact, that fight seems to be lifting him – at exactly the right time...

Read Whole Story

Santorum Endorsement Raises Question Of Quid Pro Quo

ABC News | Shushannah Walshe and Michael Falcone | Posted 12.23.2011

Read More: Iowa Caucus, Super Pac, Vander Plaats Santorum, Santorum, 2012 Elections, Elections 2012, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Santorum Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucus 2012, Vander Plaats, Campaign Finance, Politics News

An Iowa Christian conservative leader who bestowed his highly sought-after endorsement on presidential candidate Rick Santorum this week is now at the...

Read Whole Story

Divorce, Porn, Gay Marriage Shape Iowa Race

Urbandale Patch | Anne Carothers-Kay | Posted 12.22.2011

Read More: Iowa Caucuses 2012, Iowa Politics, Newt Gingrich 2012, Newt Gingrich Divorce, Republicans Pledge to America, 2012 Election, The Family Leader, Republican Presidential Candidates, Iowa Caucuses, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Rick Santorum 2012, Republican Presidential Primary, Newt Gingrich, Election 2012, Gay Marriage, The-Family-Leader-Pledge, Politics News

Increasingly, special interest groups nationally and in Iowa are asking presidential candidates to put their positions in writing by signing specifica...

Read Whole Story

Statement From Bob Vander Plaats Announcing His 2012 Presidential Endorsement

Jesse Berney | Posted 02.20.2012

Read More: Iowa Caucuses, Elections 2012, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Santorum, Dan Savage, Comedy News

When someone asks me which of the candidates vying deserves our support, I will tell them to breathe deep and smell that crisp Iowa winter air. I'll tell them that if they pay close attention, they'll catch a whiff of something special. That something is Santorum.

Read Post

Bachmann Asked To Drop Out Of Race

Posted 12.21.2011

Read More: Iowa Caucuses 2012, Michele Bachmann Bob Vander Plaats, Michele Bachmann President, Bachmann 2012, Video, 2012 Elections, Michele Bachmann, Michele Bachmann 2012, 2012 Election, Bob Vander Plaats Family Leader, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Michele Bachmann Family Leader, Iowa Caucus 2012, Election 2012, Politics News

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) on Wednesday confirmed that Bob Vander Plaats, CEO of Christian conservative group The Family Leader, had called her e...

Read Whole Story

WATCH: Rick Santorum Gets Big Endorsement

HuffingtonPost.com | Amanda Terkel | Posted 12.20.2011

Read More: Social Conservatives, Video, The Family Leader, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Elections 2012, Iowa Caucuses, Rick Santorum 2012, Rick Santorum for President, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum received a boost to his presidential campaign Tuesday, picking up the endorsement of a leading...

Read Whole Story

Newt Gingrich Pushes Truly Radical Idea

HuffingtonPost.com | Paul Blumenthal | Posted 12.16.2011

Read More: Iowa, Judges, Ron Paul, Judicial Elections, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Elections 2012, Evangelicals, Campaign Finance, Video, Republican Primary, Newt Gingrich 2012, 2012 Election, Iowa Caucuses, Rick Santorum 2012, Ron Paul 2012, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- In Thursday night's Republican presidential debate, the Fox News moderators announced that they would ask one question that had not been...

Read Whole Story

Newt Gingrich Pledges Fidelity To Fidelity Pledge In Lengthy Letter

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 12.13.2011

Read More: 2012 Speculatron, Video, Newt Gingrich 2012, 2012 Election, The Family Leader, The Marriage Vow, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, The Marriage Vow Pledge, Newt Gingrich, 2012, Politics News

When influential Iowa social conservative Bob Vander Plaats rolled out the Family Leader's "Marriage Vow" pledge, it was enough for most of the 2012 G...

Read Whole Story

Michele Bachmann's Iowa Campaign Co-Chair Warns Gay Marriage Could Lead To Women 'Marrying The Eiffel Tower'

Posted 11.22.2011

Read More: Tamara Scott Eiffel Tower, Video, Michele Bachmann, Concerned Women for America, The Family Leader, Tamara Scott, Eiffel Tower, Bob Vander Plaats, Tamara Scott Same-Sex Marriage, Tamara Scott Gay Marriage, Gay Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage, Gay Voices News

One of the oldest tricks in the book when it comes to scaring people into not supporting gay marriage is using the "slippery slope" method. You tel...

Read Whole Story

WATCH: Newt Gingrich Tells Protesters To Get A Job, Take A Bath

Posted 11.19.2011

Read More: Video, Newt Gingrich Occupy Wall Street, Newt Gingrich 2012, Thanksgiving Family Forum, Ows, Occupy Wall Street, Bob Vander Plaats, Elections 2012, Newt Gingrich Ows, Newt Gingrich, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich mocked the Occupy Wall Street protesters on Saturday, saying they need to "get a job" an...

Read Whole Story

Mitt Romney Avoids Social Conservative Forum

AP | By STEVE PEOPLES | Posted 01.19.2012

Read More: Iowa, Video, Social Conservatives, 2012 Elections, The Family Leader, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Politics News

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. -- For as long as he's been the Republican front-runner, Mitt Romney has avoided taking firm positions on high-stakes Washington sp...

Read Whole Story

GOP Hopefuls Vie For Social Conservative Support At Iowa Forum

AP | THOMAS BEAUMONT | Posted 01.19.2012

Read More: Video, Michele Bachmann, 2012 Elections, The Family Leader, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Elections 2012, Rick Santorum, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Thanksgiving Family Forum, Newt Gingrich, Politics News

DES MOINES, Iowa — Six Republican presidential candidates dove deep into how their religious faith influences their public life, during a free-f...

Read Whole Story

Money Floods State Judicial Elections

HuffingtonPost.com | Paul Blumenthal | Posted 12.27.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, Video, Michele Bachmann, Courts, American Family Association, National Organization for Marriage, Elections 2010, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Money in Politics, Citizens United, Newt Gingrich, Campaign Finance, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- On February 15, Wisconsin voters went to the polls to vote on a rather mundane state Supreme Court primary election. The incumbent, Davi...

Read Whole Story

The Big Variable In Mitt Romney's Iowa Calculus: Rick Perry

HuffingtonPost.com | Jon Ward | Posted 12.21.2011

Read More: Iowa, Social Conservatives, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Elections 2012, Mitt Romney, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucuses, Republican Presidential Primary, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Politics News

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney faces a key strategic decision over the next few weeks: whether or not to go for a quick knockout of Rick Perry in the prima...

Read Whole Story

Tim Pawlenty Weighs In On Controversial 'Marriage Vow'

AP/The Huffington Post | Posted 09.12.2011

Read More: Pawlenty Marraige Now, Video, Tim Pawlenty the Marriage Vow, 2012 Election, The Family Leader, Marriage Vow Pledge, Pawlenty the Marriage Vow, Elections 2012, The Marriage Vow Pledge, Tim Pawlenty, Tim Pawlenty Marriage Vow, Tim Pawlenty 2012, Pawlenty 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Politics News

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Republican Tim Pawlenty says he won't sign a pledge written by a conservative Iowa group that asks presidential candidates to denou...

Read Whole Story

Iowa Marriage Pledge Drops Reference To Slavery

Posted 09.10.2011

Read More: Iowa Marriage Slavery, Marriage, The Family Leader, Slavery, Iowa Marriage Vow, Iowa Marriage, Bob Vander Plaats, Racism, Iowa Gay Marriage, Religion News

By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service WASHINGTON (RNS) An Iowa-based conservative Christian organization has removed controversial language abo...

Read Whole Story

WATCH: Rick Santorum Explains Signing Controversial Pledge

The Huffington Post | Elyse Siegel | Posted 09.09.2011

Read More: Video, Santorum, 2012 Election, Santorum for President, The Marriage Vow, Santorum 2012, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Rick Santorum, Santorum Interview, Rick Santorum 2012, Rick Santorum the Marriage Vow, Rick Santorum Interview, Rick Santorum for President, Politics News

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said he was "taken aback" by a controversial pledge introduced last week by The Family Leader, an Iowa...

Read Whole Story

The Family Leader Drops Controversial Section Concerning Slavery From 'Marriage Vow' Pledge

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 09.08.2011

Read More: 2012 Speculation, 2012 Speculatron, Video, Pledges, 2012 Election, The Family Leader, Bob Vander Plaats, Elections 2012, Iowa Caucus 2012, 2012, Politics News

The Family Leader's "Marriage Vow" pledge asks a lot of the presidential candidates who sign it. You better not like gay people, for instance! Porn is...

Read Whole Story

Bachmann, Santorum Sign Pledge That Includes Ban On Porn

Posted 09.07.2011

Read More: Michele Bachmann, Michele Bachmann 2012, 2012 Election, The Marriage Vow, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Rick Santorum, Rick Santorum 2012, Video, Politics News

Republican presidential contenders Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have lined up behind a new pledge focused on social issues put forth by Bob Vand...

Read Whole Story

Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Social Conservative Kingmaker, Unveils A New Pledge For 2012ers

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 09.06.2011

Read More: 2012 Speculation, 2012 Speculatron, Pledges, 2012 Election, The Family Leader, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucus 2012, 2012, Politics News

A few weeks ago, we delved into the world of pledges that the members of the GOP field were being pressured into signing. Turns out we should have hel...

Read Whole Story

Late Returns: Welcome To Vander Plaats Country

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 06.13.2011

Read More: 2012 Speculation, 2012 Speculatron, Michele Bachmann, 2012 Election, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucuses, Tim Pawlenty, Iowa Caucus 2012, Barack Obama, 2012, Politics News

Over at The Atlantic, Josh Green has the essential profile of Bob Vander Plaats. Despite having "lost every campaign he's ever run in," most recently ...

Read Whole Story

In Defense of Marriage: Cake

Loren A. Olson, M.D. | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Iowa Caucuses, Bob Vander Plaats, Doma, Mike Huckabee, Divorce, Respect for Marriage Act, Same Sex Marriage, Healthy Living News

Doug and I have been together 23 years. Even though he's been a part of my grandchildren's lives since they were born, I can't fault my granddaughter for thinking same-sex marriage is weird.

Read Post

Bachmann Could Threaten Huckabee's 2012 Prospects

HuffingtonPost.com | Jon Ward | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iowa, Republican Primary, 2012 Elections, Michele Bachmann, Bob Haus, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Fred Thompson, Gop Primary 2012, Iowa Caucuses, Bob Vander Plaats, Republican Presidential Candidates 2012, Kent Sorenson, 2012, Politics News

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Mike Huckabee had hoped to coast through the summer with a run for president in his back pocket. Michele Bachmann just picked i...

Read Whole Story

Another Day, Another Reason To Be Skeptical That Huckabee's Running

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: 2012 Speculation, 2012 Speculatron, Mike Huckabee 2012, Mike Huckabee, 2012 Election, Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Caucuses, Politics News

A Wall Street Journal profile of Bob Vander Plaats, onetime Iowa gubernatorial candidate turned social conservative political fixer, is getting attent...

Read Whole Story