2016
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Rod Blum Is Too Extreme Even For Republicans
First District Congressman Rod Blum, elected in 2014, made the first vote of his career a protest vote by voting against the reelection of John Boehner as House Speaker. Blum was one of 25 rogue Tea Party-supported members to vote against Boehner. Boehner has since resigned and the radical House Freedom Caucus has taken credit…
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Is Political Purity Undermining The Democratic Party?
The Republican Party has been hijacked by uncompromising members resulting in legislative gridlock. The Republican Tea Party absolutists have been willing to shut down the government rather than compromise their positions. These Republican ideological purists are not only unwilling to compromise with Democrats, they’re unwilling to compromise with other Republicans. Republican leaders can’t get these…
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These Democratic Legislators Need To Help Boost Turnout In Their Districts
Now that we’re several days into early voting, clear trends are beginning to emerge around the state. Early voting and absentee requests in targeted swing legislative districts are nearly twice that as non-targeted districts. This is to be expected to an extent, as a larger effort with additional staff, direct mail and candidate time is done…
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Donald Trump’s Jobs Lie From The Debate
During the Presidential debate, Donald Trump repeated his contention that massive job losses have been lost in Ohio and Michigan due to bad trade deals with Mexico and China. “Bigly” losses. His appeal to “working class white male voters” is premised on their displacement from work. Before the March primaries, Ohio Gov. John Kasich boasted…
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Former Marine Pat Ritter Runs On Water Quality In Northeast Iowa House Race
Far from both parties’ activist cores and the state political press, a Northeast Iowa legislative race might hold the key to which party controls the Iowa House next session. The Decorah-based House District 55 features an open seat where both parties have fielded strong candidates. On the Democratic side is Pat Ritter, a 34-year-old attorney…
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How To Fight Income Inequality With Better Paying Jobs
Guest post from Jack Hatch on his upcoming book The Second Security: Fight Income Inequality By Creating Better Paying Jobs For Working Families No greater security exists for an Iowa family than that of a decent job that has the potential to lead to a better life. There is no more urgent issue facing policymakers…
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Ron Corbett Emerges From Floods Ready For 2018 Governor’s Race
Few words of politics were uttered as Cedar Rapids prepared for and experienced the floods of 2016. But the makings of Iowa’s next governor may have been forged in the tense week as the city battled back the second-highest ever crest of the Cedar River. Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett was a constant, public presence…
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No Vote Or Third Party Vote Is A Vote For Trump
New polling results suggest many millennials are shunning both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and embracing third party candidates. Bernie Sanders joined Clinton this week appealing to millennials to come back home to the Democratic Party. However, maybe former Sanders strategic advisor Tad Devine should go on the road to speak to Sanders supporters. Sanders…
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The State Of Iowa’s Early Vote And How It All Works
Hillary Clinton visits Iowa today, the day that early voting begins in the state. Her rally is at a plaza in downtown Des Moines that’s just a stone’s throw away from the Polk County Auditor’s office, where in-person early voting is held from now to the election. The Clinton campaign hasn’t announced more details yet,…
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The “Art Of The Deal” Puts Lipstick On A Pig
The book “Art of the Deal,” co-authored by Tony Schwartz, made Donald Trump a household name and launched his presidential ambitions. It has been presented as a business memoir written by Trump. However, Trump’s claim to have written the book is now in doubt following two July articles in the New Yorker by Jane Mayer.…
