11:23 and hello. Our venue for the morning slash afternoon is the
Elmcrest Country Club on the north side of Cedar Rapids where we're
awaiting Sam Brownback. Elmcrest is the home course of Iowa's most
famous golfer, Masters champ Zach Johnson. There's a large shrine in
the entryway, right outside the dining room where the Linn County
Republican Women are having lunch. Channel 2 appears ready for Live At
Noon coverage. Speech was originally announced for 11:15 or 11:30 but
now looks more like 12:15 or 12:30. 12:03 and things are starting.
Steve West has a lot of stories. The former Hiawatha mayor is now
parade chair for the Linn County GOP. West's family settled in Iowa in
the pre-territorial era and ran a bank "until 1933 when Roosevelt took
it away." Steve committed to Brownback early, but also likes the
Thompsons Fred and Tommy. "The Republican Party is kind of up for
grabs now," he says. "I hope the conservative wing doesn't sit it out
if someone like Giuliani gets it. We need to stick together and keep
Hillary of Obama or Edwards out of there."

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