2019
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Iowa Educators Flee To Union-Strong Minnesota For Better Pay
Kindergarten teacher Kathie Card used to work in Iowa. She still lives here. She has a house in Armstrong, in Emmet County. But now she’s teaching in Fairmont, Minnesota, ever since the Iowa legislature stripped public employees of their right to collectively bargain in 2017. “When things started changing, my district was very small and…
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AFSCME Council 61 Endorses Theresa Greenfield In IA-Sen Race
U.S. Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield added another endorsement to her ledger late last week with the support of AFSCME Council 61. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the nation’s largest trade union representing public employees, including those working for the state, county, city, school and private sector. “Theresa understands firsthand the…
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Shaving Heads, Taking Commit Cards: A Cory Booker Day On The Trail
Studies have shown that bald men are perceived as more intelligent, mature and as more dominant leaders than their hair-laden counterparts. If that’s the case, then Cory Booker not only brought three charitable Iowans into his chrome dome club, he enhanced their social standing as well. Such was part of wild, amusing, day-long Iowa Caucus…
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The Video That Disproves Steve King’s “White Nationalist” Defense
In a speech last week on the U.S. House floor, Iowa Congressman Steve King said he never was quoted using or defending the term “white nationalist” until a New York Times article was released that ultimately led to the loss of his committee assignments. An interview with WHO-TV’s Dave Price that aired October 21, 2018,…
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The Peculiar, Surprisingly Effective Campaign Of Joe Sestak
Retired admiral Joe Sestak’s presidential campaign announcement was noticed almost by accident. Explaining his entrance into the crowded field in a June 23 video on a campaign website few knew existed, word of the then-24th Democratic candidate slowly spread through political journalist Twitter. No major profile pieces, media roll-outs or cable news tours accompanied it.…
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Kamala Harris Will Inspire More Iowans To Vote
A guest post in support of Kamala Harris from Vanessa Phelan and Victor Dutchuk, two neighborhood Democratic leaders in Polk County. As the chairs of the Northwest Des Moines Democrats and the West Des Moines Democrats, we spend our free time on grassroots activism. We’re the volunteers you might spot holding a picnic with presidential…
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Why I’m With Beto (And Why My Former GOP Dad Can Be, Too)
A guest piece from Emma Harris, regional organizing director for Beto O’Rourke in Polk County. When someone asks me why I work for Beto O’Rourke, I end up talking about my dad. He was an officer in the Navy for over twenty years and was a lifelong, “common sense” Republican. We have never agreed on…
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Cedar Rapids’ Political Clout On The Rise
Two weekends ago, Cedar Rapids held its second major multi-presidential candidate in as many months. The national press swarmed the streets of Iowa’s second-largest city, over a thousand Democratic caucus-goers braved the overwhelming heat and candidates themselves tried out the vibrant NewBo culinary scene. That day, 11 candidates seeking the White House attended. A month…
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Sex Ed, Contraception Key, Castro Says At Reproductive Rights Forum
At a town hall hosted by NARAL Pro-Choice America on Saturday, Julián Castro emphasized the importance of sex education and access to reproductive health care, which he said includes contraceptives. When asked by Starting Line, Castro said, “What I believe is that we need to make sure that we have sex education in our public…
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Cory Booker ‘Ready for Anything’ From Biden In Upcoming Debate
Sen. Cory Booker’s campaign seems primed for a breakout. He was the most-googled candidate during night one of the first debates, after which he saw a big jump in fundraising. He’s also secured a ton of endorsements from Iowa legislators and activists across the state. And most Iowa politics watchers praise his campaign’s ground game…
