July 2016
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An Iowa Delegate’s Experience At The Convention So Far
Iowa delegate Josh Hughes is writing up his experience at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Here’s his takes from the first two days. We’ll update throughout the week on this post: Day 2 Hello again! Tuesday proved to be a very busy day indeed again. We began with breakfast with speakers Amy Klobuchar, the…
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The View From The Iowa Delegation At The Democratic Convention
After a rather rocky start to the Democratic Convention, the first evening ended on a positive note with strong speeches from Cory Booker, Michelle Obama, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. I’m not personally at the convention myself this week (cost too much and I haven’t raised enough for Starting Line’s regular operations yet – probably…
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Why Western Iowa Keeps Voting For Steve King
After two straight weeks of Steve King racial controversies, much of the country is once again asking: how on earth does this man keep getting reelected? It’s an understandable conundrum about a Congressman who displays a Confederate flag on his desk, who repeatedly defended his belief that white Christians contributed more to civilization than any…
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Chuck Grassley Doubts TPP Will Pass Anytime Soon
During a visit to Emmetsburg on late Friday afternoon, Senator Chuck Grassley expressed doubt that the Trans Pacific Partnership would become reality anytime soon. While the trade agreement is expected to benefit Iowa’s agricultural exports , concerns over workers rights, environmental protections and manufacturing have stalled its advancement. “It’s my feeling that right now TPP…
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Ted Cruz Positioned Himself Well For 2020 General, Not Just Primary
Oh, Ted Cruz. Never change. The Texas Senator stole the scene last night at the RNC convention by refusing to endorse Donald Trump in his speech. If there was any doubt why, he followed it up this morning by saying he wouldn’t be a “servile puppy dog” by endorsing a man who personally attacked his…
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Chuck Grassley Sets All-Time U.S. Record For Obstruction
The long-serving Senator from Iowa set a record yesterday, though one many won’t be happy about. Tuesday marked 125 days since President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, with Senator Chuck Grassley still refusing to hold a hearing for him. The last time it took 125 days for the Senate to take action…
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Clinton And Democrats Build An Army In Iowa For November
While the media’s spotlight will be solely fixed upon the Republicans and Democrats’ conventions this week and next, the behind-the-scenes campaign efforts go forward on the ground in Iowa. And like in many other swing states key to winning the presidency, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats have built a huge operation here to turn out…
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Joni Ernst Gets Shafted At RNC, Probably For The Best
By the time Iowa Senator Joni Ernst finally took the stage at the RNC convention last night, the crowd in the arena was smaller than what she would typically find at a Montgomery County chili dinner. Ernst began her speech around 11:10 PM Eastern, missing out on the primetime spot she was supposed to have.…
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Steve King Goes Full Racist – Says Whites Contribute Most To Civilization
When news emerged last week that Iowa Congressman Steve King displays a Confederate flag on his desk in his official office, most had a pretty good idea why. King removed all doubt in an interview today on MSNBC. The seven-term Congressman from Western Iowa, well-known for often using racially-charged language, joined Chris Hayes for a panel…
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The Scenarios For Tom Vilsack As Clinton’s Vice President
After weeks of discussing Tom Kaine, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Perez and Sherrod Brown, a familiar Iowa name emerged in the vice president nominee debate for Democrats: Tom Vilsack. The current Secretary of Agriculture and former two-term Iowa Governor has reportedly been vetted by Clinton’s team. Those of us in Iowa understand why he’s still in…
