Iowa GOP hopeful Clovis seeks direct engagement with Braley

Given his background as a fighter pilot, it's probably not surprising that Sam Clovis is taking a direct approach to winning the 2014 Republican nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat.

So far, the college professor who spent 25 years in the Air Force is treating the other GOP hopefuls more like wingmen than rivals as he engages the presumptive Democratic U.S. Senate nominee 1

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District U.S. Rep Bruce Braley.

“Bruce Braley is the Democrat and I want to be the Republican (candidate),” Clovis said after a town hall meeting in Manchester Wednesday where he spent the better part of an hour picking apart the Affordable Care Act and chastising Braley for supporting its passage in 2010. “I don't have to take on Republicans to do that and I certainly don't need to make it personal.”

He calls the others seeking the nomination -- former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker, Sen. Joni Ernst, David Young, former chief of staff to Sen. Chuck Grassley, attorney Paul Lunde and auto salesman Scott Schaben also are seeking the nomination – his friends.

“We all agree on almost all of the issues,” he said at a recent forum with three others seeking the GOP nomination

So he's locked-in on Braley “to build a contrast between me and what I represent as a common-sense conservative and a radical progressive … someone whose record indicates he will be more liberal than Tom Harkin.”

Calling himself the most consistent conservative in the race, Clovis argues the contrast between Braley and him is stronger than between the Democrats and the other Republicans. That will become clear as the Republicans face primary voters.

“There are a lot of things that are easily captured in talking point, in briefing papers, but sooner or later you have to stand up in front of an audience and you have to answer questions,” he said.

He's looking forward to more joint appearances with the other GOP candidates, including a forum Sept. 5 in Crawford County that will offer each of them an opportunity to deliver a speech and answer questions.

“It's a chance to hear someone on the stump and see how they are on their feet,” he said. As a college economics professor and a former radio talk show host, “I'm comfortable with that.”

For more on Clovis, visit http://www.samclovis.com/.