2019
-
Iowa Farmers To Trump: “You’re Stabbing Us In The Back”
Iowa farmers are furious over a recent major decision from Donald Trump’s EPA that is undercutting corn growers in favor of oil companies. Robb Ewoldt, a farmer from Northeast Iowa, expressed his frustrations to Starting Line in a conversation this week. “We got to get somebody in the White House to hear, ‘you know, we…
-
Poll: Elizabeth Warren Jumps Out To Big Lead In The Iowa Caucus
Elizabeth Warren’s early investment in Iowa is paying off. A new Iowa Starting Line-Change Research poll shows the senator opening up a commanding lead in the Iowa Caucus. Warren was the top pick of 28% of likely Iowa Caucus-goers in the poll, an 11-point lead over the nearest competitor. Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders were…
-
Iowa Water Crisis Worsening, Major Beach Closed Due To Blue-Green Algae
The beach and new outdoor waterpark at the $60 million Honey Creek Resort are closed this week, as well as two other beaches on Rathbun Lake. The closures came after dangerous blue-green algae blooms were detected at several spots around the lake. Swimming warnings are in place at all three beaches and the public was…
-
What Didn’t Work: John Hickenlooper Bows Out
John Hickenlooper is giddy-uping back to Colorado after ending his presidential run today, though he has yet to decide if he’ll run for Senate. If he does, hopefully it’s a more successful venture than his White House bid, which just never really gained much traction. This is a continuation in my series of post-exit analysis…
-
Iowa Caucus Race Comes Into Focus After Exhausting Week
As the dust starts to settle following a grueling, 20-plus candidate week in Iowa, let’s take an overdue look at the interesting lessons learned from all the activity. The State Fair gauntlet began with Joe Biden’s visit last Thursday and ended with Pete Buttigieg’s trip yesterday (though Seth Moulton still remains for Saturday). It’s Not…
-
Steve King Confronted With Incestuous Rape Example After Comments
Just hours after Congressman Steve King made offensive comments about rape and incest this morning, he was confronted by a constituent over a real-life example of incestuous rape in his district. Katie Koehler, a retired Mason City public school teacher, told King that one of her 10-year-old students became pregnant after she was raped by…
-
Swift, Furious Reaction To Steve King’s Rape/Incest Comments
Congressman Steve King’s comments this morning on rape and incest drew quick and widespread condemnation from across the political world. “What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled out anyone who was a product of rape or incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did…
-
Bernie Sanders: Medicare For All Must Cover Abortion Services
Medicare for All has been a central part of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns since he launched his first national bid in 2015. Since then, the health care conversation in the United States has focused increasingly on reproductive services, as Republican-controlled state governments across the country limit abortion access and Supreme Court justices are appointed…
-
Buttigieg Rides The State Fair Bus, Meets Big Crowds, Eats A Lot
Pete Buttigieg made his to way to the Iowa State Fair the way many regular Iowans do: on a DART bus. The South Bend mayor hopped on board at the downtown shuttle stop this afternoon, much to the surprise of fellow riders. Two of the people that Buttigieg sat down next to were already planning…
-
New Themes, Familiar Lines; Candidates’ Changing Iowa Messages
This weekend, most of the field of Democratic candidates returned to Iowa to connect with voters in the first caucus state. The last time so many were in the state at one time was in early June, at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Cedar Rapids. Candidates went to the Iowa State Fair in Des…
