| by Jennifer Jacobs | Des Moines Register (Blog) | February 22, 2011 | suggested by Liese VanderBroek |
About 120 tea party supporters began to gather at noon today on the west steps of the Iowa Capitol to voice their indignation over what they consider excessive government spending.  Up the steps a few hundred yards away, union members and their supporters outnumbered the tea party rally-goers. By 12:30 p.m., a rough estimate put their numbers at more than 500. By 1:30 p.m., it appeared there were between 800 and 1,000.  A battle in Wisconsin over collective bargaining rights there has put the spotlight on labor costs and worker rights in Iowa. ...