GOP Split Highlighted In Iowa

Des Moines Register:

The establishment candidates — who see themselves as conservative but at least open to possible compromise — are past and present legislative incumbents, local officeholders and ascendant party functionaries.
The challengers are tea partiers, libertarians and strict constitutionalists — candidates who believe government taxes too much and spends too freely, and who see mainline Republicans alongside Democrats as the source of the problem.
The races have become unusually contentious, with candidates amping up rhetoric, leveling harsh accusations and resorting to name-calling. Party leaders from both factions have gotten involved, too, something that rarely happens ahead of an inter-party primary.
Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have weighed in on behalf of establishment candidates, while Iowa evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats has generally lent his support to socially conservative challengers.
“I think where most Republicans are today and where Iowans are today is they want authentic conservatives,” Vander Plaats said. “They’re tired of the campaign that says they’re going to cut government only to grow government; say they won’t increase taxes only to increase taxes or that they’re for local control and parental rights only to grow big government education.”

The GOP is going to blow up sometime in the next few years.  Hopefully they don't take the rest of the country down with them.  Also, Bob Vander Plaats is a jackass.