Ex-Rep. Abby Finkenauer’s callous and widely condemned remarks about Polk County District Judge Scott Beattie reflect her disdain for the separation of powers in our system of government. Even two of her fellow Democrats — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand and Rep. Cindy Axne — joined the chorus of liberal pundits, editors and respected legal minds who called on her to walk back her comments.
Appearing on “Iowa Press,” Sand said, “That judge did his job. He worked all weekend to get that report issued on a Sunday night in order to give whoever was going to be the losing party a chance to appeal.”
Interviewed on WHO-13 in Des Moines, Axne also criticized Finkenauer’s outburst and said, “It is probably something that I wouldn’t do.”
But who has been strangely silent on her inappropriate remarks? None other than U.S. Senate Democrat primary candidate Mike Franken and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.
The silence from both Franken and Miller speaks volumes. Iowa needs leaders who will stand up for what’s right. Abby Finkenauer claims she’s running to ‘save our democracy.’ And yet, she’s brazenly assaulting the integrity of judges and an independent branch of government.
Below is a list of leaders in Iowa criticizing Finkenauer’s outburst:
- Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand on Iowa Press,
- Congresswoman Cindy Axne on WHO-TV,
- Former President of the Iowa State Bar Association Guy Cook in the Des Moines Register,
- Art Cullen of The Storm Lake Times Pilot,
- Randy Evans through “Stray Thoughts,”
- The Sioux City Journal‘s Editorial Board, and
- Laura Belin of the Bleeding Heartland.