Omaha World Herald - Iowa House Hopeful David Young Shakes Hands, Makes Pitches in Council Bluffs Visit

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By Andrew J. Nelson

Republican congressional candidate David Young visited a senior citizens community center here Friday, reminding voters about the Nov. 4 election and asking for their support.

Young, 46, walked from table to table in the small cafe by the entrance to The Center, introducing himself to people as they sat and drank coffee. Many didn't know who he was and hadn't seemed to have thought much about the election.

Young is facing Democrat Staci Appel of Ackworth for the 3rd District seat that represents southwest Iowa, including Council Bluffs. The seat is now held by Tom Latham, a Republican who is retiring.

Introducing himself at a table with a handful of men, Young began his spiel: He's from Van Meter, in Dallas County. He worked for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

"Are you a conservative or a liberal?" asked Bill Calabretto, 66, of Carter Lake, who wore a "Faith, Family, and Facial Hair" T-shirt with the images of the Duck Dynasty cast on it.

"I'm a conservative, right of center," Young said. "Tell me about you."

"I'm the one who's going to either vote for you or not," Calabretto replied.

Everybody at the table laughed, including Young.

Young said he was pro-life and pro-gun -- a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. He said there was a firing range just outside of Van Meter, allowing everybody to hear "the sound of freedom." He also pointed out Van Meter is the home of the Iowa Veterans Cemetery. "It's hallowed ground," he said.

Afterward, Calabretto said Young had his vote.

Young also stopped at the table where Nancy Torneten and Janis Schutt sat. Both women are Democrats, although they were willing to vote for a Republican. But they did not know if they would support Young, as they were unfamiliar with the race and the candidates.

"But he did make an appearance," Torneten said.

Said Schutt: "I'll give him credit there. It's better than these phone calls you get. Those I don't like."

Young said in an interview that he is fielding fewer questions about economic issues and more about national security these days. When one person asked him about the Islamic State, Young criticized some aspects of President Barack Obama's response but said Congress should work with him to combat the terrorist organization.

"When the president and Congress come together, it's a good thing, especially when it comes to national security," he said.

Young was campaigning in the Bluffs the day before U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan is scheduled to headline a GOP fundraiser in West Des Moines. Democrats on Friday tried to link Young to Ryan, the 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee, whose controversial budget plan calls for converting Medicare eventually to a voucher-style system.

"His fundraising with Congressman Ryan speaks loud and clear: he is in lockstep with the plan to cut senior benefits while giving handouts to millionaires and billionaires," said Jan Laue, president of the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, in a press release sent by Iowa Democrats.

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