July 2019
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Not Gaining Traction? Gillibrand Has been Underestimated Before
When Senator Kirsten Gillibrand tried to win over a Republican held congressional district in Upstate New York her opponent repeatedly ran a commercial that showed a picture of her face covered in flames. In the background, a deep voice would say “she’s not who you think she is.” During that 2006 race, Gillibrand said she…
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Shake Ups In Iowa’s Federal Races After New Financial Reports
With this week’s 2nd quarter campaign finance reports out, we now have a clearer look at where Iowa’s federal races stand. Some potential candidates have seen what they’d be up against and decided against a run. Others have added their names to a 2020 primary. Here’s where things stand: U.S. Senate Despite the influx of…
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What Latino Voters Are Looking For In The Iowa Caucus
As the Latino population becomes an increasingly significant portion of the American electorate, candidates for public office are working to boost their turnout in elections from the presidential race to city council contests. But, as Nicholas Salazar points out, Latinos are far from a homogenous group. Even in Iowa — a state about 6% Latino…
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Cory Booker: Win Back Senate To Bring Sanity Back To Courts
To combat the partisanship of the Supreme Court, Cory Booker said his main goal is to target one of the root causes for the radicalization: the Senate. In the first event in a series of conversations with the 2020 presidential candidates, hosted earlier this week by Des Moines Area Community College and Iowa Public Television,…
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Iowa Dems Knock Trump EPA’s “Bait-And-Switch” On Iowa Farmers
Focus on Rural America hosted a press conference Thursday to call out President Donald Trump for the promises he made to farmers and the biofuel industry during his first campaign, but has failed to live up to. “We have a bait-and-switch. They said we’re gonna give you year-round E15 sales, but we’re gonna grant enough…
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DNC: Debate The Debate On Climate
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is engaged in a peculiar debate. Since April, there has been a growing grassroots crusade by such groups as the Sunrise Movement, 350.org, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and Credo Action demanding the DNC sponsor a presidential debate focused exclusively on climate change. The DNC leadership has pushed back, pointing…
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How Kamala Harris’ Plan Would Address Iowa’s Rape Kit Backlog
Justice after a sexual assault is hard for victims to find, and Kamala Harris wants to make it a little easier. On Thursday, Harris announced a plan to eliminate the backlog many states have of untested rape kits, the equipment used by investigators to collect DNA samples and evidence from victims of sexual assault during…
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Sanders Lands 1st Iowa Legislative Endorsement With Ft. Madison’s Kurtz
Fort Madison State Rep. Jeff Kurtz today became the first Iowa lawmaker to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders, calling him a politician that “has been consistent through his entire career on the issues that matter to the 99%.” Kurtz, elected to represent District 83 in the Iowa Legislature in 2018, told Starting Line he caucused for…
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Steve Bullock: Appoint More Western Judges, Consider Court Expansion
Montana governor Steve Bullock has a new idea for the type of justices he’d seek for the Supreme Court. After touring an ethanol plant and a grain co-op earlier this week, Bullock told Starting Line he would pursue justices who come from the Midwest or Western regions of the country. “I think that when you have…
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The Other Side Of Iowa You Should See
Years ago, when I was a young pup of a reporter for the Des Moines Register, my assignment was covering state and federal courts. Normally, it amounted to reporting on the dirty laundry of society that gets scrubbed in the courts — the murders, the robberies, the embezzlements and the civil lawsuits. But whenever time…
