The Koch Brothers-funded group, Americans for Prosperity, is conducting a series of town halls in Iowa attacking Congressman Bruce Braley who is running for senate. They call it the “Big Government Braley” tour. The first two events, yesterday in Fort Dodge, and today in Carroll, featured Congressman Steve King. The third, on Saturday in Marshalltown, will be conducted by Sen. Chuck Grassley.

The meeting today was kicked off by AFP state director Mark Lucas. He said the greatest threat to the United States is the deficit. He also talked about cap and trade and a carbon tax as threats.

Then Lucas turned the mike over to Steve King.

What King said follows: 

King made his usual pitch for lower taxes, less regulation, and the need for a balanced budger amendment. Then he launched into an attack on Obamacare. King said that when Obamacare was being passed in the House, Nancy Pelosi picked Bruce Braley to make the final argument to sell Obamacare. “He was the closer.” King then made an unsubstantiated claim about a hypothetical woman who would see a 400% increase in health insurance premiums. He implied she would pay more in order to cover possible maternity care. King said Obamacare was “wrecking the insurance industry.” He said some Obamacare supporters in Congress were hoping it would lead to a national healthcare system.

Next, King turned to energy to display his ignorance about global warming and science in general. He lamented the failure of a proposed coal-fired power plant in Marshalltown that he said was killed by regulation. King claimed coal is the cheapest source of energy. He said the idea that CO2 is causing global warming is “not proven,” and he's “not buying it.” He said global temperatures have been flat for the last 15 years. He said the water cycle, evaporation and condensation, is dictated by Newton's First Law. “What goes up must come down.” King's view on global warming is that he “looks at it scientifically.” It's wrong on science and wrong on economics.”

King gave a pitch for the Fair Tax. Then he spent some time expressing concern about being in a “surveillance state.” From that he moved to a claim that the IRS is targeting the president's enemies.

It was an amazing abount of malarkey to  spout in under an hour.