Council Bluffs, IA – June 2, 2010 – Mike Denklau, who is running to unseat Republican Representative Steve King in Iowa’s 5th Congressional District, comments on the upcoming conference committee review of financial reform legislation.

“I applaud the House of Representatives and Senators Grassley and Harkin on the passage of financial reform that benefits Main Street by making banks safer and preserving their constructive role in business as providers of capital,” said Denklau. Unlike Steve King who voted against this vital reform measure and yet again against the economic interests of western Iowans, as a former banker, Mike understands that a healthy financial sector is absolutely essential for a robust economy and sustainable growth in the 5th District. Due to his experience working directly with federal regulators to protect investors from unsound financial products, Mike knows how important it is that we strengthen and simplify our regulatory system. Mike believes this legislation is an important step in modernizing our financial system.

Specific benefits from the financial reform bill include: 

• Ensuring taxpayers are not responsible for costs incurred by financial companies taking excessive risks
• Avoiding improper rating of risky financial products, such as subprime mortgages, by holding credit rating agencies accountable and making the ratings process more transparent
• Improving consumer and investor protections
• Promoting a safer and more transparent derivatives market with flexibility to meet business needs
• Creating a systemic risk council to identify and preempt risks to the financial system

“More than two years after the Bear Stearns collapse and the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis, the financial reform bill is long overdue,” said Denklau. Mike urges Republicans and Democrats working on the conference committee and in the full Congress to take this important first step in the reform effort and send a strong bill to the President that protects American jobs, the competitiveness of our economy and keeps borrowing costs as low as possible for consumers and businesses.

“Our work will not end with passage of this bill, however. Just as Depression era reforms took over a decade to enact, additional pressing financial issues, such as regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, still require our attention. As the 5th District’s next Congressman, I look forward to continuing the effort to improve our financial system and advocate for policies that foster job creation and economic growth,” said Denklau.

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call (712) 256-0742 today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

Council Bluffs, IA – May 23, 2010 – Mike Denklau, a candidate for Congress in Iowa’s District 5 has been endorsed by Lynn and Ed Fallon of The Fallon Forum radio show on 98.3 WOW-FM. Ed Fallon is a former State Representative and gubernatorial candidate. Lynn works for the National Farm to School program.

“Lynn and I are excited to throw our resources and radio voices behind Mike,” said Ed. “As a guest on our radio show last month, we were very impressed with the way Mike handled tough questions about pressing issues. He’s hands down the most progressive candidate in this race, and the fifth district’s best bet to beat Steve King.”

Honored by their endorsement, Denklau reaffirmed his commitment to pragmatic leadership that seeks bipartisan solutions. “Ed and Lynn’s dedication to serving Iowa has been a great inspiration for me. As a Congressman I will bring stronger representation to western Iowa by being part of the debate and tackling pressing issues.”

The Fallon Forum can be streamed live anywhere in the fifth district by going to www.983wowfm.com. Podcasts are also available at the same site.

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call (712) 256-0742 today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call (712) 256-0742 today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call (712) 256-0742 today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

Fellow Democrats,

Thank you for being here today, and thank you for having me.  It is exciting to see such a great turnout.  I’m Mike Denklau.  I am a college instructor and I am running to be your representative in Congress.

To begin today, let me share with you why I declined a promotion at my former bank to run for Congress.  The reason is simple; it is about service, about giving back to the state that has given me so much, and it is about middle class opportunity.

When I was ten years old, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to go through aggressive chemotherapy and radiation treatment.  While I was worried about her, I thankfully never had to worry about how our family would pay for the treatment.  I owe much of that thanks to the quality of county government health insurance, which allowed my mom to get the treatment she needed and focus on overcoming her illness.  I am happy to say that she is now a 17 year survivor and doing well.  However, I am concerned about what would happen to the 83,000 uninsured mothers, fathers and children in our district if they were faced with a similar illness.  I’ve learned a lot about healthcare from my hundreds of supporters.  One of them, Rick, is a small business owner who runs his family business that has been around for over 100 years.  He has worked hard over the years to provide for his employees and ensure they and their families have health insurance.  This past year, Rick was informed that his premium would be going up by 80%.  Would you say that’s fair?  The difference between Steve King and I is that I will do something about this.  I don’t believe no is the answer.  I am a practical problem solver, and I am for comprehensive healthcare reform.  I have no illusions that I can solve this problem on my own, but I promise you that I’ll work every single day in Congress to make the system better for you, for Rick and for my mom.  What is it time for?  It is time to work for western Iowa.

Let me tell you about my friend Butch. Butch is a big burly guy, a bar owner and local politician in southwest Iowa.  He also happens to be the supervisor at a bio fuel plant.  Butch has worked his way up from being the sole operator when the plant opened to overseeing a crew of 12 skilled and well paid workers.  These are the kind of quality jobs our district needs.  What’s amazing to me is that Steve King repeatedly shoots down measures that would help Butch and Iowa families.  I am committed to being a champion for working Iowans.  To revitalize this district and keep our young professionals and families here, I will work to support the middle class and to create hundreds of Butchs throughout western Iowa.  With the Morrell Plant closing and Clarke County struggling with nearly 10% unemployment, we cannot wait to address our challenges.  What is it time for?  It is time to work for western Iowa.

To get our economy back on track and build a stronger future for our district, we need a congressman with experience helping businesses grow, experience in the classroom and experience in Washington.  As a banker, I helped companies raise over $8 billion to expand their businesses and hire new employees, and I advised them on how to implement stimulus programs.  I also worked with federal regulators to change policy in Washington to protect individual investors like you and me from risky financial products.  As a college instructor, I understand that education is an investment in our future and we must ensure we are doing everything possible to strengthen the system.  What is it time for?  It is time to work for western Iowa.

Finally, I got into this race because I believe Congressman King is out of touch.  Over the past seven years and throughout the worst recession in decades, King has given himself a $19,000 pay raise.  That is more than half of the annual income for the average family in Kiron, Iowa.  This is wrong, and as your congressman I will work to change the way Washington functions.  That is why, today, I am renewing my pledge to decline congressional pay raises until our economy is growing again, and I will reject congressional health insurance until reform that works for western Iowans has been achieved.  What is it time for?  It is time to work for western Iowa.

As Ford Motor Company has proven, we can turn things around in America.  We have a great opportunity to turn things around right here in the 5^th District, and it begins by retiring Steve King.  As many of you know, I began laying the foundation for this campaign in July.  I have been committed to you since then, and I am still committed to fighting for you.  Our campaign has been gaining significant momentum recently with endorsements from State Representative Roger Wendt of Sioux City and The Storm Lake Times.  Local media attention continues to build and my staff is poised to more than double within the next few weeks.  That said, I need your help to capitalize on the opportunity we have in 2010.  I am here today to ask for your advice, your support and your vote.  Together, we will make sure we have a congressman in 2011 who is working for western Iowa!

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call (712) 256-0742 today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

“We had the fortunate opportunity to meet with Mike Denklau, a genuine, smart and hard-working Iowa native who is running for Congress this November,” said The Storm Lake Times. “Denklau brings a unique and valuable set of skills and insights that would make him a tremendous congressman.”

Said Denklau: “I am humbled to receive another endorsement in my campaign against Steve King. It is an honor to receive the support of The Storm Lake Times. I greatly admire the quality reporting of the Times, and I appreciate their endorsement. This is another example of how momentum is building behind my campaign heading into the primary and general elections.”

Mike Denklau’s campaign urges 5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation to visit http://www.denklauforcongress.com or call today to join his campaign. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today on Act Blue and by joining his email list. Together, western Iowans will make a difference this November!

We asked Mr. Denklau what ultimately pushed him back to Iowa and give up his career in finance. He said simply that he felt it was time to give something back to his home state, which he fully credits as the source of his success and more specifically, his first class education from public elementary and high school to the University of Iowa. Today, Mr. Denklau, along with his campaign manager Justin Petersen, himself a former Chicago investment banker, are leveraging optimism, ambition and acumen in the face of an uphill political battle in Iowa’s District Five.

…for Mike Denklau, fixing the economy is priority number one. To achieve this goal, he highlights the need for maintaining and strengthening the state’s educational system and promoting the creation of high-skilled jobs, the lack of which, Mr. Denklau points out, has resulted in Iowa’s brain drain.

…By the end of the June 8 Democratic primary, Iowa’s District Five may very well have an ambitious 27-year old going head-to-head with Republican Steve King in this year’s pivotal midterm elections.

To learn more about Mike and his vision for new leadership, please visit www.denklauforcongress.com. Please help get Mike’s message out by sharing this post with your friends, by becoming a Facebook supporter or by investing $20.10 or more in his campaign at www.denklauforcongress.com/contribute.

Representative Roger Wendt of Sioux City said:

“As the Chair of the Iowa State House of Representatives Education Committee, I believe Mike is the kind of representative we need to strengthen and improve our education system.  His experience as a college instructor, as well as his past work with middle school and high school students, gives him the perspective we need in Washington, and I look forward to working with him as an elected member of Congress.”

Mike commented on Representative Wendt’s endorsement by saing, “I am honored to receive the endorsement of State Representative Wendt. As Congressman, I will continue the example of hard work, determination and service that Representative Wendt has set to champion legislation that will strengthen our education system, create quality jobs in western Iowa and reduce our federal debt.”

5th District Iowans interested in stronger Congressional representation should visit Mike’s supporters page to see what others are saying about Mike. You can also help Mike’s campaign by investing $20.10 or more today and by joining his email list.