Blum inviting presidential candidates from both parties to Cedar Rapids summit

CEDAR RAPIDS - An Eastern Iowa congressman is inviting major party presidential hopefuls - both Democrat and Republican - to a forum in Cedar Rapids Dec. 5.

Rep. Rod Blum, a freshman Republican from Dubuque, and Freedom Works, a grass roots organization advocating for lower taxes, less government and more freedom, are inviting every major party candidate who was polling above 1 percent nationally in August to participate in the Rising Tide Summit at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'The Rising Tide Summit is a great opportunity for all the candidates to talk directly with the grass roots activists who will be making the phone calls and going door to door this election cycle,” Blum said. Freedom Works, he said, has millions of activists across the country.

The name of the summit - Rising Tide - is a reference to President John F. Kennedy's belief that a 'rising tide lifts all boats.”

'Promoting robust economic growth that raises up all Americans is my top priority,” Blum said.

Stephen Moore, senior economic contributor to Freedom Works, said it is necessary to elect a president 'with an economic agenda to put all Americans back to work and to give our workers a raise.”

'That means all the presidential candidates must focus on getting our economy to 4 to 5 percent growth,” Moore said. 'Grassroots supporters in Iowa and across the country want to know how each candidate is going to get us back on track to full employment and restoration of the American dream.”

The summit will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the U.S. Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE. Cedar Rapids.

More information will become available as the event nears.