Iowa Rep. King's defeat marks moment of unity for GOP, Dems
Republicans and Democrats alike were glad to see him go Tuesday, defeated in a GOP primary after nine terms in Congress representing Iowa and after being stripped of his committee assignments. King didn't explicitly say Obama was friendly to Islamic extremists, but the insinuation was unavoidable. Still, Feenstra didn't defeat King by calling him a racist, a tack advisers said would have backfired by sending King supporters into a defensive crouch. This is a progression, not an instance, said Iowa Republican strategist Jon Stineman. And while GOP establishment groups nationally and supporters in Iowa shrugged off King's comments, only to be shaken by his loss of clout in key policy areas, some longtime King supporters such as state Sen. Annette Sweeney had had enough of King's comments.