Iowa Cruz backer Steve Deace apologizes for 'full vagina' tweet
Jennifer Jacobs, jejacobs@dmreg.com 4:34 p.m. CST
December 16, 2015

The "full vagina" comment by Iowa's Steve Deace, a religious conservative radio talk show host who has endorsed Ted Cruz in the GOP presidential race, is catching attention online.

"Wow...Fiorina goes full vagina right away," Deace, a West Des Moines resident whose radio show is nationally syndicated, said on Twitter Tuesday night after Carly Fiorina's remarks at the beginning of the GOP debate in Las Vegas.

When someone replied "disgusting comment," Deace fired back: "Completely agree. I think a GOP presidential candidate's opening statement being all about her gender is disgusting."

Fiorina, a former CEO of Hewlett-Packard technology company, in her opening statement threw a not-so-subtle dart at GOP front-runner Donald Trump for his "bombastic insults," and said she has been called the "b-word" throughout her career.

Her full statement: "Like all of you I'm angry. I'm angry at what's happening to our nation. Citizens, it's time to take our country back. Bombastic insults won't take it back. Political rhetoric that promises a lot and delivers little won't take it back. All of our problems can be solved. All of our wounds can be healed by a tested leader who is willing to fight for the character of our nation. I have been tested. I have beaten breast cancer. I have buried a child. I started as a secretary. I fought my way to the top of Corporate America while being called every B word in the book. I fought my way into this election and on to this debate stage while all the political insiders and the pundits told, 'it couldn't be done.' I've been told 'no' all my life. And all my life, I've refused to accept no as an answer. Citizens, it is time to take our country back from the political class, from the media, from the liberal elite. It can be done, it must be done, join me and we will get it done."

Deace's next tweet was some mild criticism for his own candidate. "So-so opening by Cruz. Rubio's was like his cliches greatest hits," he said.

When someone tweeted back at Deace that "I personally like vaginas," he answered: "Love them myself. Ask @amydeace."

But his wife, Amy, apparently didn't love her husband's Fiorina "vagina" retort.

"@amydeace tells me while on point about Carly and gender card I was too vulgar and need to apologize. And my wife is ALWAYS right. So I do," he tweeted.

Someone asked if he'd clarify his statement or leave it "to out u as the misogynist u are."

Deace said there was nothing to clarify. "It was needlessly vulgar," he said.

His original tweet was quickly favorited dozens of times (67 times as of Wednesday morning), and assailed by those who found it offensive.

"The only people who think I hate women are folks in favor of killing them before they're born. ," he wrote later, referring to those who favor abortion rights. Deace is staunchly opposed to abortion and Cruz's "unwavering" stance on the issue is one of the reasons Deace endorsed him.

When Iowa religious conservative leader Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Cruz this month, he noted how rare it was for three of the best-known conservative influencers in Iowa to go with one candidate. He was referring to Deace, who endorsed in August, and U.S. Rep. Steve King, who publicly backed Cruz in November.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/sto...weet/77410918/