I’m not going to bash Gov Romney for making a buttload of money. Good on you, sir.

What I will bash is the plan to drastically cut taxes on capital gains and if his communications team is worth a damn they’ll tape his mouth shut if he ever brings it up again.

I get that investment is important but coming from a guy whose primary and massive income is from capital gains & dividends, you won’t sell the public on it. You’ll look like a cheap huckster looking out for himself and his buddies.

Today, January 6, 2012 is my last day at the Iowa Democratic Party.

It’s been an amazing two and a half years filled with hope, heartbreak and miles and miles of Iowa road and magnetic video tape. I arrived in June of 2009 to a website that was rarely updated and hardly usable, a social media that was all about push and no listening and no story to speak of. After thousands of photos, hundreds of blog posts written, graphics created, hours upon hours of video shot and a gold standard caucus held, I’d like to think I’ve made a difference and helped the progressive movement in this state.

To all my amazing coworkers, keep calm and carry on.

Monday morning begins my next chapter. In addition to building my and my wife’s business of campaign media and management, I will be a clerk in the Iowa House of Representatives for Tyler Olson of Cedar Rapids. Expect big things.

Nothing lies before me but opportunity and I’m running full speed.

Hey press: instead of obsessing over handful of #OccupyCaucus protesters, maybe mention the full @OFA_IA phonebanks at HQs across IA today

— John Deeth (@johndeeth) December 29, 2011

One of the greatest Christmas stories ever told.

Courtesy of This American Life

The National Review Online. It’s a conservative publication and, for the most part, I’ve read their articles sparingly. Usually when Andrew Sullivan is writing a retort. That has changed since I got an iPad and started reading the politics feed on Flipboard over my coffee and yogurt. Their articles are given prominence and I’ve since perused their pages with greater frequency.

Today I almost dropped that coffee. Editor-at-large Kathryn Jean Lopez, or K-Lo as she is lovingly referred to, went on a fear-and-loathing-esque rant against the President:

Our nation is at something of a turning point. Are we going to continue to be a beacon for freedom, for justice? Or are we going to be transformed into just another secular socialist state?

That’s nothing new. It’s a conservative publication and the President is a big boy. It’s expected, if a little hyperbolic, and he can take it. The next statement bothers me more:

You’re not an Occupy Wall Street protester, you’re a Get America Back on Track laborer. You work hard, you raise a family, you’re an informed voter.

Now, I have my share of problems with Occupy, especially the Des Moines chapter, but don’t call them uninformed. Not when there are Tea Partiers holding signs like this:

That’s not the point of this post. Just the build up. The build up of this conservative stalwart image. Free market and hard work etc. That’s all well and good, but then there’s this:

We rely on you to make that content possible. Before you spend your final Christmas dollar on that LED Snoopy at Target, consider sending us a small investment in the future — and getting our bills paid.

You’re going to ask for donations after claiming the free market high ground? How about this: sell some more ads. Tell that sales department to work a little harder. Don’t call me a socialist while you have your hand out, Ms Lopez.

Met a few Iowa voters — conservative Republicans — who don’t like Perry’s TV ads. They want to hear about jobs, not gays and skl prayer.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 10, 2011

Just saw #RonPaul’s new tv ad. Whimper like little shih tzus? His ad team has never met my Ellie. Ellie the Deer Chaser.

View this on Twitter.

If @MittRomney wants to make things smaller & smarter, he may want to start with his ad team. http://t.co/R5W92zyB #fail #iacaucus

View this on Twitter.

Saturday night was our annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. Our keynote speaker was Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and I thought he was fantastic. A great advocate on behalf of President Obama.

Fun fact, I shot my 10,000th photo from my little Canon Rebel XTi Saturday night. It’s been quite the journey from Denver to Pittsburgh to Des Moines and I look forward to the next 10,000 snaps!

Enjoy the photos and let me know what you think of them!

“President Obama did not make choices for the next election, he made them for the next generation.” – @RahmEmanuel. #JJdinner

More to come later this week!