2019
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Women Lift Up Women On The Iowa Campaign Trail
Two Democratic presidential campaigns collided in the hallway of the Hilton Garden Inn in Iowa City Thursday night outside of the Women Leaders Rising: 2020 Issue Forum. Amy Klobuchar had just finished telling the group of over 100 women that she is a union champion and a daughter of the Midwest, while Kirsten Gillibrand was…
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Steve King Blames ‘Political Lynch Mob’ For Loss Of Committees
Congressman Steve King took to the House floor Thursday night to lament the loss of his committee assignments, accusing Republican leadership of “stifling” his freedom of speech. King, representing Iowa’s 4th Congressional District, has insisted he was misquoted in a Jan. 10 New York Times article that led House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to introduce a…
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2020 is not 1937. A History Lesson On FDR And The Courts
By 1935, the New Deal was helping the American people and economy bounce back from the disaster of the stock market crash of 1929. National programs were putting people to work, building infrastructure like bridges, hospitals and schools and expanding access to electricity. The New Deal was popular and well-loved. In May 1935, it suffered…
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New Iowa Poll: Talk Science To Me, Candidates
Science-related issues may not be a topic voters automatically associate with their list of policy priorities, but according to a new poll, it’s a subject a majority of Iowans want politicians to address. A June poll conducted by Research!America and Science Data found 74% of the 802 Iowans surveyed believe “it is important for the…
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A Messaging Idea: Capitalism With A Conscience
Guest post from Bob Raker, a Polk County Democratic activist. As usual, economic policy will be an important topic in the 2020 election debate. We can expect that Russian Bots and the Republican Party will flood the media universe with attacks that label Democratic Party policies as socialist. At a time when silly phrases such…
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Gillibrand Blasts Fellow Democrats Over Sexual Assault, Harassment Issues
Several days after a New Yorker story revisited Al Franken’s departure from the Senate, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ripped into the Democratic Party at large in Iowa over its handling of sexual assault and harassment. Gillibrand told a group of women gathered for a week-long conference of female union members in Iowa City Thursday night she’s…
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Joni Ernst Won’t Endorse Steve King In IA-04 Primary
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst told reporters today she will not endorse a candidate in the Republican primary for Rep. Steve King’s congressional seat. Ernst, in response to a question from the Cedar Rapids Gazette, said Thursday afternoon on a conference call with reporters, “I will not be endorsing anyone in that primary race.” Ernst said…
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Finance Committee Dems All Back Grassley Prescription Drug Bill
A bipartisan bill aimed at lowering the cost of prescription drugs was approved Thursday in the Senate Finance Committee led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley. A committee meeting spanning more than three hours ultimately gave way to a 19-9 vote in favor of the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019. The bill now is…
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Why This First-Time Caucus-Goer Is Backing Kirsten Gillibrand
A guest post from Avery Fair, a 17-year-old activist from Dubuque. This upcoming 2020 presidential election will be different from past elections, with a vast number of Democratic candidates running for the nomination this year. For me personally, it will be the first election cycle I am able to participate in. I wanted to find…
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Good News, Cory Booker! Des Moines Has A New Vegan Spot. Our Review.
There’s a new option for candidates with certain dietary choices (i.e., Cory Booker) in Des Moines: Dirt Burger, a vegan burger spot in the East Village. It’s a welcome addition to Des Moines’ diverse, ever-expanding restaurant scene, and here just in time for all the campaign staff and candidates who are coming in from out…
