Charles W. Larson, Jr.

Charles W. "Chuck" Larson, Jr., an attorney, is the Republican Iowa State Senator for District 19 (Cedar Rapids)  and former Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa. 

Larson, a major in the U.S. Army Reserve's 372nd Engineer Group who served from February 2004 to February 2005 in Iraq, founded Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission, "a grassroots coalition of families who have lost loved ones in the war, families with loved ones in the combat zone, and returning veterans," in summer 2005. 

Larson is "retiring from his State Senate seat in 2006, but he definitely has his eye on higher office," the dKospedia informs. "To that end, he founded Families United, a multi-state group that supports the Iraq War."

Bush's Ranger
As of December 19, 2003, according to White House for Sale.org, Charles W. Larson, Jr.'s name, was found on the list of "New Bush Rangers and Pioneers". He was elevated from Pioneer to Ranger status in 2004.

Rangers commit to raising at least $200,000 each for the campaign; Pioneers have a goal of $100,000.

Profiles
According to his Families United biography, Larson was "elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1992 – first, to the Iowa House and more recently to the Iowa Senate. He has served as the House Judiciary Chairman, passing the nation’s toughest laws on methamphetamines, and as the House Economic Development Committee Chairman, making Iowa a more competitive environment to attract and retain high paying jobs. He currently serves as the Senate Ethics Chairman. Chuck’s term in the Iowa Senate ends December 31, 2006. He is not seeking re-election."

Larson was appointed March 21, 2003, by President George W. Bush to serve the remainder of a three-year term expiring November 19, 2004, on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities. On March 7, 2006, Larson was reappointed by President Bush "to be a Member of the Advisory Commission on Drug-Free Communities (State Organization), for the remainder of a three-year term expiring November 19, 2007." His father, Charles W. Larson, Sr., appointed United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa by President Bush in August 2001, serves as a consultant for the President's National Drug Control Strategy. 

Larson is General Counsel for the ESCO Group, "a technology services firm with more than 250 employees located in Marion, Iowa." 

Larson was born in Des Moines, raised in Newton, and resides in Cedar Rapids. He graduated from Newton Senior High School. Larson received a B.A. in economics, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Iowa, and J.D. with distinction from the University of Iowa, 1996. He is a member of the Reserve Officers Association, American Legion, and Salvation Army Advisory Board. 

Larson was the featured Commencement speaker at William Penn University in 2005. His speaker's bio stated that "Chuck Larson has a distinguished record of public service. As a major in the U.S. Army Reserves, Larson was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service in a combat zone, having spearheaded humanitarian missions including Operation Iraqi Hope, which delivered school supplies to 17,000 Iraqi schoolchildren.

"Larson has served in the Iowa Legislature since 1993, first in the Iowa House and now in the Iowa Senate. He served as the House Judiciary Chair, on the House Economic Development Committee, and currently serves as the Senate Ethics Chairman."

Other Affiliations

 * Former Assistant Jones County, Iowa, Attorney

Contact Information
State Capitol Des Moines, IA 50319 Email: chuck.larson AT legis.state.ia.us Website: http://www3.legis.state.ia.us/ga/member.do?id=158&ga=81

Websites

 * http://www.chucklarson.com/
 * http://www.operationiraqihope.com (redirects to Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission website)

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Bush administration cronyism and incompetence
 * Charles W. Larson, Sr. (father)

Profiles

 * Chuck Larson Jr in the dKosopedia.

2002-2004

 * Katie Norris, "Politicians react to address," Iowa State Daily, January 31, 2002.
 * "Remarks by the President at Gross for Governor and Republican Party of Iowa Victory 2002 Dinner, Polk County Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa, August 14, 2002: "I appreciate so very much my friend, Chuck Larson, who is the chairman of the Republican party ..."
 * Ward Harkavy, "The Bush-Cheney Gazillions Tour. Get Out Your Checkbooks. It's a Bundle of Fun," Village Voice, October 22-28, 2003.
 * Mary Niederberger, "Soldiers seek supplies for Iraq schools," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 22, 2004.

2005

 * 2005 Legislative Session Opening Day Speeches: Senator Iverson (Republican leader), Iowa Senate Democrats, January 10, 2005: "My friends, it has been 390 days since our colleague Chuck Larson left Iowa to help rebuild a devastated country."
 * "Senator--soldier returns," Ocheyedan Press, February 17, 2005.
 * Kathryn Schneider, "Iowa senator returns home after year of military service in Iraq," Stateline Midwest, April 5, 2005.
 * Transcript: "Iowa Statehouse Reporters Show Number: 3246, Iowa Press, Record Date July 22, 2005: "One other political development last week, State Senator Chuck Larson said he's not going to run for reelection. ... former chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, served in Iraq most of last year, returned in February. He is working hard to get Jim Nussle elected Iowa's next governor. So I would think that he is hoping that he may have a role in a Nussle administration."
 * "It's A Fine Line Between Stupid And Clever," Pearl Swine Blogspot, September 14, 2005: "According to the New York Times, starry-eyed Iowa State Senator Charles W. Larson Jr. of Cedar Rapids gushed that Gov. Pataki 'has kind of a rock star quality'. Oh really? And exactly what kind of rock star, State Senator Larson, would that be? You won't hear me saying Pataki isn’t capable in his own way of 'raising the roof' or 'rockin’ the joint with his axe' or whatever it is the kids are calling it these days… but seriously, dude? Rock star quality?"
 * Audio Link: "Iraq: The Case for Staying the Course in Iraq," WHYY Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane (odeo.com), September 20, 2005: "The case for 'staying the course' in Iraq. We’ll talk with Chuck Larson Jr, a republican state senator from Iowa, who served in Iraq with the U.S. Army Reserves, and we’ll hear from Susan Dakak, born in Iraq, she now serves as vice president of The Women's Alliance for a Democratic Iraq, and is an Arab language translator for the U.S. Military’s operations in Tampa, Florida."

2006

 * "Chuck Larson, Freedom Fighter," Gavin's Journal Blogspot, February 23, 2006.
 * Chris Woods, "Calls for State Sen. Chuck Larson's resignation," Political Forecast, February 24, 2006.
 * "Group assists families of U.S. Soldiers," The Oregonian (Army Reserve in the News), March 2, 2006: "Larson has founded Families United chapters or similar entities in 35 states and said the organization wants to spread news about the good works of U.S. Soldiers who are building schools, hospitals and libraries."
 * Bobby Hanafin, "A Blitz of Pro-War TV Ads Code Name 'TORNADO NEOCON' may be spinning toward Ohio and Pennsylvania – a bit of humor in the world of propaganda," Veterans for Common Sense, March 3, 2006.
 * Darwin Danielson, "Legislator meets with President Bush," RadioIowa.com, March 10, 2006: "... 15 organizations met with the President for about an hour in the Oval Office to talk about 'the importance of the mission in Iraq and the war on terror.'"
 * Joel Bleifuss, "Strangers to the Truth," In These Times, March 24, 2006.
 * Todd Gitlin, "Evergreen Astroturf," TPM Cafe, April 9, 2006.