Paul McKinley for Iowa

Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley, who this week joined a growing list of “exploratory” candidates for governor, offers his personal story as a small-town business owner to set him apart from other legislators in the race.

Another Republican has come forward to say he's considering a run for governor in 2010. Senator Paul McKinley of Chariton has filed the paperwork to form an "exploratory committee" which lets him begin raising money for a campaign.

As the dust settles on the 2009 legislative session, Iowans are just beginning to comprehend the extent of the modifications made to the state. With approximately three million Iowans serving as the employers and one governor and 150 legislators as the employees, how would the people of Iowa grade the work of their employees this year? I believe it is necessary to provide the employers with some much needed perspective.

There has been plenty of discussion lately about who our leaders are in the Republican Party. Nationally, the media and the liberal Democrats say that Rush Limbaugh is our leader. The Chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele says no, he’s our leader.

The new leader of Republicans in the Iowa Senate expanded a southern Iowa business just when the economy was in a severe recession, back in the late 1970s.