2019
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College Sports Want It Both Ways With Athletes And Coaches
A few days ago, a friend repeated a maxim about what it’s like at his work these days: When the company wants him to do something after hours for no pay, the boss points out this is his calling. But when he asks for a raise, the boss winces and reminds him this is a…
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What A Jam-Packed Beto O’Rourke Campaign Day Is Like
Above photo via Joe Crimmings. Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is well-known for his energetic, non-stop campaigning style, and that was certainly on display during his ambitious Polk County schedule on Saturday. He held six house parties, spread out across the Des Moines metro, an interesting strategy that brought out more than just the usual Democratic…
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Beto O’Rourke Courts Students With Energy And An “Idealistic Vibe”
Rallies and Q&A sessions with 2020 hopefuls, depending on the candidate, typically tend to skew like the Iowa electorate does: older. But with former Congressman Beto O’Rourke choosing Iowa State University as his first stop on his second swing through the state, there were more backpacks than canes in the crowd. O’Rourke addressed the at-capacity…
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Joni Ernst Pretends Climate-Enhanced Flooding Is Natural
Iowa and the Upper Midwest have suffered unprecedented flooding on the Missouri River. It is of historical proportions exceeding the previous 1952 record by 51% and smashing a 67-year-old record. The latest cost estimates have spiked to over $2 billion dollars, and the Corps of Engineers is warning that there will be continued flooding through…
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Abby Finkenauer Appointed To Key Infrastructure Subcommittee Spot
Iowa will now have a bigger say in how the nation’s infrastructure needs are addressed. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer has been appointed to the role of Vice Chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. That subcommittee handles the planning for construction and maintenance of highways and transit facilities, as well as…
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If You Like Elizabeth Warren’s Policy Proposals, Here’s An Idea
I conducted a fun little experiment yesterday. After noticing many people expressing frustration on political Twitter that Elizabeth Warren wasn’t getting enough media coverage for her policy ideas, I wondered, are those same people sharing her policy proposals themselves? So, I searched on Twitter for “Elizabeth Warren policy” and scrolled through the results for those…
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Is Tom Steyer Reconsidering A Run?
While Tom Steyer announced back in January that he would not make a presidential run in 2020, a poll going around Iowa raises new questions on whether he might be reconsidering that option. A Starting Line reader received a polling call yesterday afternoon in which various messages on a possible Steyer candidacy were tested. Steyer…
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Hey Lawmakers, Let Local Government Govern
When members of the Iowa Legislature show up at coffee shops in their districts on weekends, you won’t hear them talking about not trusting local government officials. But that is at the heart of a bill that would turn city and county government topsy-turvy and place a straitjacket on the governments that are closest to…
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Ep93: How Democrats Are Talking About Rural Iowa
The Iowa Starting Line Podcast host Pat Rynard is joined by Robert Leonard of Knoxville’s KNIA Radio-AM, a frequent writer on rural issues, to recap this weekend’s Heartland Forum in Storm Lake. We discuss how Democrats have started to change how they talk about rural Iowa.
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House Democrats Hire New Director To Retake Chamber
The Iowa House Democrats have hired Emily Waggoner as their new caucus director for the 2020 campaign cycle. She’ll be tasked with running the political operation to pick up at least five House seats to retake the majority for Democrats. “We’re excited to ramp up our team to regain the majority in the Iowa House,”…
