By walking into Iowa Capitol, Branstad makes history

DES MOINES - Monday was unlike any other of the 7,641 previous days that Gov. Terry Branstad served as Iowa governor. This time when he walked through the doors of the Iowa Capitol, he walked into the history books as America's longest-ever-serving governor.

'I never imagined I would serve this long,” said Branstad, 69, who greeted well-wishers throughout the day during an open house in his Statehouse formal office where he has presided over six terms - four from 1983 to 1999 and two more starting in 2011 to the present.

'I just feel that God has blessed me and I've been given a great opportunity and I want to do the very best that I can to serve the people of Iowa and to leave this state a stronger and healthier and more-diversified place for the benefit of future generations,” the Lake Mills native said.

Branstad said his legacy has been one of guiding Iowa through some difficult and challenging times, beginning with the farm crisis of the 1980s and running through flooding, tornadoes and a bird flu outbreak.

'You name it, we've been through just about every challenge that there is,” the Republican said.

Monday was a parade of old friends, family and staff members past and present, political allies and opponents and scores of Iowans who just came by to wish him well for eclipsing the past record of a Revolutionary War hero, George Clinton, who served as governor of New York for nearly 21 years.

Branstad said he expects his record to stand quite a while, too, though Iowa is one of only 13 states that do not limit the number of terms a governor can serve.

'But there's an old saying that records were made to be broken so, who knows, somewhere down the line I'm sure somebody will probably break it,” he said. 'But I doubt that it will happen in my lifetime because it's just not that easy.”

Jeff Kaufmann, a community college political science instructor, former Wilton state representative and current chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, called Branstad 'a living legend” who has cultivated friendships among national and international leaders and 'cemented” Iowa's spot as the leadoff caucus state in the presidential election.

'Iowans are doers, not talkers,” Kaufmann said. 'Gov. Branstad is a product of Iowa, and Iowa is a product of Gov. Branstad.”

Not everyone was in a celebratory mood, however, over Branstad's tenure as the occupant of the Terrace Hill governor's mansion.

Progress Iowa, a liberal group that has been a vocal critic of the GOP governor and his administration, launched a website Monday detailing what the group viewed as Branstad's shortcomings and policy failures. And it paid for a truck that circled the fog-shrouded Statehouse and the Iowa State Fairgrounds with a billboard displaying pictures of Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and a message: 'A record of broken promises.”

'Media outlets across Iowa will highlight this milestone and offer glowing variations of Branstad's so-called legacy,” Progress Iowa leader Matt Sinovic wrote in an email to supporters. 'With your help, we want to showcase the real record Branstad doesn't want to talk about: The Branstad/Reynolds broken record of broken promises.”

Josh Levitt, press secretary of the Iowa Democratic Party, pointed to Branstad's July veto of $55.7 million of state aid to schools, his recent closing of state mental health institutions in Clarinda and Mount Pleasant and his plans to forge ahead with a Jan. 1 shift to a privately run managed care system for Iowa's $5 billion Medicaid program as examples of a failure to lead.

Levitt pointed to a Public Policy Polling survey showing that Branstad's approval rating 'has tanked this year” with about half of Iowans now disapproving.

'Iowans are in no mood to celebrate Branstad's failed leadership. All year long, Iowans have been urging Branstad not to move forward with his misguided agenda, but he has refused to listen to their concerns every time,” Levitt said in a statement.

Among the Iowans who stopped by Branstad's open house was Michael Little, a Cedar Rapids activists hired by the Iowa Democratic Party to 'shadow” the governor at campaign events to record his comments - an activity that caused Little to log more than 50,000 miles.

'You were with me in a lot of places,” Branstad told the former opposition tracker who stopped by to wish him well and get his autograph.

Branstad called Monday's celebration of his lifetime achievement as 'a wonderful opportunity to just pause and reflect” as well as do something for a worthy cause. He noted the proceeds of a newly released biography and a Monday evening gala will go to a new non-profit called 'The Governor Branstad Iowa History Fund” to support historical projects around Iowa.

Staffers said the event drew more than 1,200 and raised more than $330,000.

'Chief executive - the governor - is a demanding job, so not too many get the honor that I have and I just want to make the most of it,” Branstad said. 'I want to accomplish as much as I can and leave Iowa a much better place than I found it.”