September 2018


  • News

    Ep57: IA-Gov Poll Results & Vicky Brenner Interview

     Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard interviews Spencer Kimball of Emerson Polling about the new poll in the governor’s race and what all the numbers might mean. We also talk with Vicky Brenner, Democratic candidate for Senate District 13.


  • News

    Iowa Taxpayers Taken For Expensive Ride On Godfrey Case

    Most Iowans are pretty frugal. They don’t waste their money. They especially don’t like it when they believe government officials fritter away our tax money. That’s why I think many people in Iowa are not familiar with the case of Chris Godfrey. Otherwise, if they were truly informed about what has occurred in the past…


  • Politics

    Legal Bribery? Reynolds’ Latest Ethics Issue Sets Bad Precedent

    Perhaps Governor Kim Reynolds should just stay off planes. The AP’s Ryan Foley reported this afternoon that Reynolds had once again taken a questionable plane ride paid for by a donor that has business with the state of Iowa. Dave North, the CEO of Sedgwick, a company that is contracted by the state to handle…


  • Politics

    Hubbell Points Out Big Hypocrisy In Latest Reynolds Ad

    Governor Kim Reynolds is desperately trying to use distorted and negative ads to damage Fred Hubbell. Reynolds’ latest charge is that Hubbell, while head of the Iowa Power Fund, wasted taxpayer money and didn’t create any jobs. Yet, Reynolds is on record praising the very investments made by the Power Fund under Hubbell’s leadership. Reynolds’…


  • News

    Ep56: The Life Of A Down-Ballot Candidate With Rob Sand

     Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard interviews Rob Sand, Democratic candidate for State Auditor, about what it’s like campaigning as a down-ballot candidate this year.


  • Politics

    Follow The Money On Reynolds, Wellmark And Pre-Existing Health Conditions

    After years of state and national progress on healthcare access, Governor Kim Reynolds brought back one of the worst features of pre-ACA healthcare: denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. And the company that was chosen to offer up the new plans just so happens to have been a major contributor to the Brandstad/Reynolds ticket for years.…


  • News

    Nike Takes A Knee For Equality And Justice

    It’s rare for a national company selling consumer products to take a stand on a controversial political issue. Generally, they would remain neutral, fearing that taking a political position would hurt sales with the consumers that support the opposing position. Nike boldly ignored that conventional advertising rule by making the former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick…


  • News

    A Democratic Iowa House Majority (Part 4): Blue-Collar Districts

    For Starting Line’s fourth piece about important swing districts in the battle for the Iowa House, we look at three blue-collar seats spread around the state. Democrats are mostly on defense here, and they really can’t afford to lose much in their effort to pick up a net of 10 seats for the majority. Blue-Collar…


  • Politics

    Cory Booker To Headline Major Iowa Democratic Party Event

    Senator Cory Booker will headline the Iowa Democratic Party’s biggest event of the year in early October, the party announced this afternoon. He’s the featured guest for this year’s Fall Gala (formerly known as the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner), which will be held on Saturday, October 6. It’s the New Jersey senator’s first trip to Iowa this…


  • News

    A Democratic Iowa House Majority (Part 3): Rural Exurb Districts

    In the third in our series of looks at competitive Iowa House seats that could decide the majority, we focus on three districts that wrap around metro areas in Eastern Iowa. A variety of circumstances in each could provide Democrats chances to fill the final piece in their 51-seat majority. Rural Exurb Districts: 3 Pick-Up…