2016
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How Trump-Loving Branstad Should Deliver His Condition Of The State
While Iowa Governor Terry Branstad remains officially neutral in the Iowa Caucus, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t spend a lot of time with the candidates and their families. This past week Branstad invited Donald Trump’s son along for his annual hunting fundraiser in Centerville. The business mogul’s son was all too eager to attend, and…
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Don’t Look Now, But Bernie Sanders Could Win Iowa
Ever since Hillary Clinton’s 11-hour performance in front of the House Benghazi Committee and her subsequent rebound in the polls, most national observers had written off the chance for a Bernie Sanders upset in Iowa. There has been good evidence to back up that idea. Clinton’s ground organization in the state is unmatched in scope,…
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Sunday Grab Bag: Guns And Bernie, Kasich’s Awkwardness, Moore Retires
Good morning readers! With just three weeks left to the Iowa Caucus, real decisions are getting made at candidate events, coffee shops and diners. The time to decide who to caucus for is here, and Starting Line has found a surprising amount of undecided voters out at both Democratic and Republican events lately. For all…
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Ted Cruz’s Weird, Wobbly Week On Ethanol
He loves me. He loves me not. He loves me… What the heck is going on with Ted Cruz and his stance on ethanol this week? For a year the Texas Senator has come under withering assault from Iowa’s farmers and ethanol industry for his position on the Renewable Fuel Standard. Cruz embarked on a…
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Underdog Candidates Hit Up Bars Where Everyone Knows Their Name
Martin O’Malley started to teach the chorus to the crowd, but most of them already knew the words. A packed bar of volunteers, staff and well-wishers crammed into the Des Moines dive bar of Carl’s last night, singing along with O’Malley, dancing and taking photos. About a half hour later, 15 blocks away, Rand Paul…
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The GOP Fight Against Iowa Public Schools Ramps Up Again
Guest Post from House Minority Leader Mark Smith The 2016 session starts next week and another protracted battle over public schools seems to be looming. Before session begins, let’s take a look at the big picture because it explains a lot about the current state of public schools in Iowa. How did the Legislature get…
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Tom Vilsack Faces Fallout After Backing Branstad’s Education Plan
Many Democrats were rather surprised to see Secretary of Agriculture and former Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack sitting next to Governor Terry Branstad on Tuesday morning. Vilsack was there to give support to Branstad’s new proposal to divert funding from schools in the one-cent sales tax to water quality projects. The plan extends the money provided…
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Here We Go Again: Branstad’s Newest Ploy To Take Money From Schools
The hope that education funding might emerge as a less-controversial issue this legislative session was quickly dashed on Tuesday with Governor Terry Branstad announcing his latest plan on school funding. At a press conference at the Capitol, Branstad unveiled a new idea that would divert part of the one-cent sales tax that goes toward school…
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Sanders Picks Off Some Labor Activists In Iowa
Who will union members back in the Iowa Caucus? On paper it would seem like Hillary Clinton will enjoy the overwhelming percentage of labor support in her corner on caucus night. Clinton has racked up endorsements from 17 national labor unions, representing more than 11 million members, including some of the largest and most influential…
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Maybe Braley Was Right About That Farmer From Iowa
Democrats around the country warned what would happen if Republicans took over the U.S. Senate in 2014, allowing Iowa’s Chuck Grassley to take over the reigns of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Most of the worst predictions have come true as Grassley and Republican Senate leadership have led a historic effort of obstruction to cripple the…
