Gregg campaigning to be ‘Iowa’s lawyer’

CEDAR RAPIDS - It's unlikely they would admit it, but the campaigns of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jack Hatch and Republican attorney general hopeful Adam Gregg have a lot in common.

They're both running against institutions.

For Hatch, a 22-year legislator, it's five-term GOP Gov. Terry Branstad.

For Gregg, an adviser to Branstad since 2012, it's 32-year attorney general Tom Miller.

So Gregg is making the 'full Grassley,” a 99-county tour of Iowa to introduce himself and build some name recognition.

Not only does his opponent have what Gregg calls a 'generic name” - Miller - 'but he's very good at using his office to get his name in the news,” he said recently.

'I don't know how many consumer settlements he's announced since I announced I was running against him,” Gregg said.

It's not just their ages - Miller is 70 and Gregg is 31 - that separate the candidates.

In 32 years in office - longer than he's been alive, Gregg points out - Miller has never done a 99-county tour.

'That's the standard of care,” he said, adding that anyone who seriously is considering competing in the Iowa precinct caucuses makes a 99-county tour. 'Tom Miller never has.”

That might be because the incumbent is spending too much time in Washington to visit his Iowa constituents, Gregg charged. Miller, he said, has spent more than 100 days in Washington since President Barack Obama took office. Miller was one of the first Iowa officials to endorse Obama's candidacy.

'There's nothing inherently wrong with going to Washington,” Gregg said, 'but it's like he's become more Obama's lawyer than Iowa's lawyer.”

Unlike Miller, Gregg said he would have defended Iowa interests from what he considers overreach by the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed power grab under the Clean Water Act under the Clean Water Act.

He also would have joined with other states in challenging California regulations on chicken cage sizes that would put Iowa egg producers' largest market off limits. Miller refused to join a case the legal challenge.

Rather than defend Iowa's interests, 'Miller's legacy is suing people,” Gregg said, referring to Miller's high-profile cases against tobacco companies and Microsoft, for example.

He wants to protect Iowans by creating a cybercrime unit with the Attorney General's Office and support efforts to improve Iowa's cyberbullying laws to ensure students feel safe at school, empower parents, protect free speech rights and clarify school authority.

Gregg also promised more accessibility, promising to make the 99-county tour every year as attorney general.

'If the attorney general serves as Iowa's lawyer, he ought to meet with his clients - the people of Iowa,” he said.