Josh Turek is a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Joni Ernst.
“Josh Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA and a State Legislator who represents the reddest seat held by a Democrat in the state of Iowa. Born with spina bifida after his dad was exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Josh overcame 21 surgeries by the age of 12 to eventually represent the U.S. at four Paralympics.” – Josh Turek campaign website
Over the years many of us have found that there is one person in the Senate who uses his right to speak out on issues probably as effectively or possibly more effectively than anyone else. Maybe because he is not captured by any party, Bernie Sanders expresses the desires of most Americans when he takes on economic issues, free and fair elections, the simple desire for people to live a free life, or the desire for the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share.
So at a critical juncture in our nations history as we are on the precipice of sliding into an authoritarian country, let us listen once more as Bernie Sanders speaks up for the common man:
33 minutes:
I often wonder what America will do when Bernie dies and his often lone voice is no longer there to stand up for us. America needs many more voices like his.
Are we in a civil war? Our government no longer abides by the constitution. They abide only by what their leader says. Republicans in the other branches that are supposed to jealously guard their power and thus keep the other branches powers in check instead bow to the wannabe dictator and pledge fealty. this is certaily not how it was supposed to work.
The key to ending this crisis quickly is for Republicans to stand up for the beliefs that this country was founded on. But they won’t. Inside of each Republican is a soul that shrinks in cowardice in a time of crisis. As our government sets up the mechanisms to steal this falls elections, most Republicans are working on following orders and drowning their consciences.
Iowa’s Democratic caucuses are in your counties tomorrow night. These are one of the last lines of resistance. Please attend:
Remember FIWH stands for Felon In The White House. I may try to work in some caucus history questions.
A) What well known journalist was arrested in Los Angeles late Thursday for reporting on a story in St. Paul, MN this week?
B) AG Pam Bondi asked for what in return for having ICE and CPB back off in Minnesota?
C) Soy beans aren’t the only crop that the FIWH’s policies have ruined. Down in Mississippi farmer have millions of pounds of what crop that they can’t sell?
D) Minnesota will be the focus of many questions this week. Chris Madel of Minneapolis made headlines when he did what last weekend?
E) What year did Iowa’s caucuses make moves that made it the ‘first in the nation’ presidential test?
F) Again in Minnesota, what US congress member was attacked by a constituent and sprayed with a smelly liquid?
G) Tesla, already being crushed by bad publicity, has decided to discontinue its models X and S cars to focus on building what?
H) Meanwhile, in our neighbor to the north, PM Mark Carney is getting what kind of a reaction from Canadians to his stands on the US?
I) Gladys West died last week at age 95. She had a major effect on America with what system she developed? {hint: think Hidden Figures}
J) Much of America was shocked Thursday when the FBI raided a warehouse in Atlanta and seized what?
K) The Iowa Democratic caucuses become almost moot in 1992 because what happened?
L) March 28th – what’s happening?
M) In what seems to be a strange deployment, the US says ICE will provide security at what upcoming international event?
N) The current administration seems to be at war with America’s cities. What percentage of Americans live in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (anchored by large cities)?
O) What year did the Iowa Democrats record their largest caucus attendance?
P) The FIWH hung a picture of what good buddy of his in the White House last week?
Q) In a major affront to the US, what major economic powers signed a trade agreement last week?
R) According to the FIWH, what secret weapon did the US use to Venezuelan equipment when they kidnapped Maduro?
S) The band Queen said it will not do what again because it is simply too dangerous?
T) US border czar Tom Homan has been sent to oversee operations in Minnesota. What was Homan very credibly accused of in September?
The biggest threat to the United States is not Mexicans or Muslims. The biggest threat is Republican stupidity and their complicity in Trump’s treason. – True Blue
Answers:
A) Don Lemon for his reports on the church protest in St. Paul
B) Access to the minnesota voter registration rolls – probably to rig the elction
C) rice
D) He is a Republican who dropped out of the Republican primary for governor who said the Republicans have gone too far.
E) 1972
F) Ilhan Omar
G) robots
H) His ratings are zooming up – 64% approval
I) Gladys West was a black woman and a mathemetician who created the mathematical model of the earth that is used by GPS systems. She died 1/17/26 at age 95
J) Ballots from the 2020 election – seems the administration is setting up some bogus proof the 2020 election was stolen
K) Iowa senator Tom Harkin ran pretty much blocking anyone else’s chances of winning the caucuses that year
L) That will be the next NO KINGS DAY – remember we need 3.5%
M) The Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy beginning next week. (Milan does not them)
N) 84% – so a huge part of America will have their lives disrupted by the FIWH’s war on American cities
O) 2008 – Clinton v Obama – remember
P) Vlad Putin (he is the FIWH’s hero)
Q) The EU and India – will probably hurt US exports
R) a discombobulator – no, really – he said that Bullwinkle
S) Tour the US
T) Taking bribes – specifically $50,000 in cash from undercover FBI agents
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia DA to ICE: You’re a small bunch of wannabe Nazis. In a country of 350M, we outnumber you. If we have to hunt you down, like the way they hunted down Nazis for decades, we will. We will find you, and bring you to justice.
The in-person caucuses will take place on February 2, 2026 at 7 p.m.
DES MOINES — Today, the Iowa Democratic Party shared locations of the 2026 in-person precinct caucuses.
The current list of caucus locations is available athttps://iowademocrats.org/caucus-locations/. The list will continue to be updated between now and February 2 as the 99 county party organizations complete their preparations.
“In 2025, Iowans showed they are ready for change with Democratic candidates overperforming by an average of 22 points in six special elections. In 2026, the Caucuses are the first opportunity to get involved in our campaign for change,” said IDP Chair Rita Hart. “If you think Iowa is going in the wrong direction and are ready for new leadership, join your local Democratic Party and get involved the evening of February 2.”
Along with planning for organizing in 2026, the Iowa Democratic Party will conduct traditional party business at the in-person precinct caucuses including electing delegates and alternate delegates to county conventions, electing county central committee members and submitting platform resolutions for county conventions.
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While I hardly need to remind party regulars how important this year’s caucuses are, I am going to do so anyway. It is very important that Iowa Democrats send a loud message Monday that they are determined to send Republicans back to their homes next November.
Don’t forget that our free and fair election system is under attack as it has never been before. One of the messages that the aspiring first dictator of the United States is trying to send in Minnesota and to some extent in Iowa is that they – the Republican Party – intends to terrorize voters this fall. With one of the first political gatherings of the year, Iowa Democrats must loudly repudiate them.
Last Wednesday the current administration sent yet another unmistakeable message in Fulton County Georgia when the FBI – that now acts as a loyal police force for Trump – raided a warehouse where ballots of previous elections are kept. Iowans get the first opportunity to send a message that Americans and Democrats will not be intimidated.
Stand up now. You may not get another chance! If nothing else, go in honor of Renee and Alex!
From email from ProgressIowa and Fairness For Iowa:
Across Iowa’s first Congressional District, we’ve all noticed a growing problem: Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks has been consistently avoiding public forums and direct constituent engagement. This lack of accessibility is particularly concerning following her recent vote against ACA tax credits, a decision that directly impacts Iowa families and our ability to afford health care.
That’s why Fairness for Iowa is taking action. We’re excited to announce a special town hall with Illinois Congressman Eric Sorensen, who understands the importance of listening to constituents. As a representative from Illinois’s 17th District, he brings a valuable perspective on the issues that matter most to working families across the Midwest.
This town hall will provide space for genuine dialogue where your concerns will be heard and addressed directly. Rep. Sorensen and our other speakers will discuss your priorities, from the state of our economy and healthcare to other pressing issues affecting our community. You can submit questions when you register here.
Please share this invitation with friends, family, and neighbors who may be interested.
See you next Saturday,
– Finch VanDyk
Communications Organizer, CD 1
finch@progressiowa.org
No one I know listens to WHO-radio, the 50,000 watt station in Des Moines that broadcasts multiple hours daily of right wing talk. At 50,000 watts, WHO reaches the entire state and beyond, using the publicly owned airwaves to basically saturate the state in right wing talk. Obviously, a whole bunch of Iowans are listening. Unfortunately, they are getting garbage delivered into their homes, kitchens, cars and garages via the good old-fashioned radio.
There are local commercial am radio stations all around the state that also broadcast multiple hours a day of twisted ideas, distortions, conspiracy theories and hate directed at democrats, immigrants, minorities and others. Their programming includes national syndicated “conservative” or “controversial” talk radio hosts, “conservative” and “controversial” being code words among talk radio seekers for right wing talkers.
It’s hard to listen. So we ignore it. Back in the day when there was an active national media reform movement, about 20 years ago, I tried to tune in periodically so that I could write about what they were saying, but I couldn’t take it for longer than 2-3 minutes. It truly makes you feel crazy. The word gaslighting is the popular vernacular for what they do.
It’s like we know the propaganda is there because we hear about it, but we don’t experience it first hand, because we don’t listen to it, so we tend to underestimate its power to warp minds. It’s one thing to hear about it, but it’s another thing entirely to actually listen while it is being broadcast conversationally on your local radio dial. I have long felt the right wing talk radio stations in Iowa are a primary reason why Iowa (and other rural states) lost its way. Radio creates communities of true believers, ties that bind.
Someone told an anecdote recently about growing up on a farm in rural Iowa. He said every day you would come in from the fields at noon to eat “dinner” and listen to the farm report on the radio. Later, when he had grown up and left home, the stations were sold and turned into talk radio stations, but his parents and other farmers just kept tuning in out of habit.
This week Robert Leonard wrote about it on his SubstackDeep Midwest Politics and Culture and described what was being said on the air about the events in Minneapolis. I appreciate him doing this because I cannot, and we need to be reminded what is out there influencing minds, through our media. We need to address this serious problem that has been hidden in plain sight for decades.
Here is an excerpt from Robert Leonard’s Substack post. He attended the protest of Trump’s visit Tuesday and reported on it. Give him a follow. He is an independent thinker who doesn’t tend to use cliches, talking points or media narratives in his writing. He writes about things others aren’t writing about.
“On the way to Clive, I turned on WHO-radio to hear what was on the minds of the MAGA crowd, something I do at least once a day. The hosts of the show were pretty much talking about the battle of Minneapolis, where organized gangs of paid communists and socialist protestors were impeding the efforts of good law enforcement officers as they tried to arrest violent illegal “aliens” (yes, we are back to that unfortunate word) who were ravaging the city. Democrats are seeking to destroy our country, and the “patriots” listening need to prepare for civil war.
They told us that Trump had to stand strong, and maybe come in even harsher, because if Trump and ICE retreated from Minneapolis, the city would fall, with other cities soon to follow.”
But recently, it seems like the truth is breaking through, somehow. It may be the blatant lying over the airwaves is losing its power. All things must pass, after all.
There were many more protesters that greeted Trump in Clive Tuesday than supporters. That’s what the media should be calling a seismic political shift in Iowa.
AG candidate Nate Willems calls on Brenna Bird to drop support for lawsuit that allows ICE to operate unchecked in American cities
Brenna Bird continues to spend taxpayer resources to pursue her own extreme agenda and remain loyal to political insiders backing her campaign
MOUNT VERNON, Iowa – This morning the Des Moines Register reported that Brenna Bird is championing a national effort to allow ICE and other federal agents to continue operating unchecked in American cities. In response, Democratic candidate for attorney general Nate Willems called on Bird to rescind support for this lawsuit and join bipartisan calls to de-escalate tensions and political violence.
“While Chuck Grassley and Ashley Hinson are seeking to de-escalate a deadly situation in Minnesota by calling for a thorough investigation of these federal agents, Brenna Bird is doing the opposite. We need a secure border and safe communities, but Brenna Bird is seeking to give a green light to tactics which have resulted in the killing of American citizens,” said Nate Willems.
“While other leaders are trying to calm things down, she is using her position and Iowa taxpayer resources to argue in favor of escalation. Brenna Bird should remove the State of Iowa from this lawsuit. Our attorney general should be focusing on helping Iowans, not an extreme political agenda that wastes time and tax dollars.”
The Des Moines Register highlighted how Bird has focused her time in office on lawsuits focused on raising her national profile by engaging in litigation around divisive national issues.
According to the report,
“The filing is a continuation of Bird’s efforts to weigh in on a wide range of political and cultural disputes, including more than 150 multi-state lawsuits, amicus briefs and official letters sent since taking office in 2023.”
President Trump’s first visit to Iowa in 2026 will see a changed state from the last time he visited in July.
A new report issued today by the bipartisan Cost Coalition, Progress Iowa, and other partners shows how Washington’s reckless economic agenda is harming Iowans. No state has been in the crosshairs of the President’s economic agenda more than the Hawkeye State, where farmers are struggling with tariffs, wind workers have been laid off from their jobs, and manufacturing continues to suffer.
One in eight Iowans are facing food insecurity, 100,000 Iowans are in danger of losing their health insurance, and electricity bills are spiking as families need to heat their homes at the peak of winter.
And Iowa’s congressional delegation has endorsed the agenda that is selling out their constituents.
Iowans are struggling to square the economy they’re living through with the President’s promises to lower costs on ‘Day One’ and cut energy bills in half. With Iowa continuing to fall behind, the President’s policies will be a liability this fall.
Cost Coalition Advisors Andrew Bates and Terry Holt released the following statement:
“No state is feeling the damage from Washington’s affordability crisis more than Iowa. Despite promising to lower prices on ‘Day One,’ the President’s tariffs and tax breaks for the rich have made everything more expensive and cut Iowa’s farmers off from key markets. Whether it’s surging utility bills or unaffordable health insurance premiums, voters know this is not what they were promised. Iowa’s congressional delegation has to stop rubber-stamping the policies that are depriving Iowans of their jobs, savings, and futures.”
Mazie Stilwell, Executive Director of Progress Iowa, said:
“This report is no surprise to Iowans who are living under Trump’s painful economic agenda that takes from workers to support billionaires. What is surprising is how complicit our delegation has been. None of Iowa’s Representatives – not Feenstra, Hinson, Miller-Meeks or Nunn – have stood up for Iowans paying hand over fist to get by. Our congressional members have been puppets for Trump, supporting his agenda for billionaires while Iowans struggle to afford basic necessities.”
Launched in April, the bipartisan Cost Coalition is laser focused on restoring the American Dream by making life more affordable. Our Coalition is committed to supporting policies and leaders that are committed to fighting to lower prices and invest in solutions that will make everyday life more affordable.
About Progress Iowa:
Progress Iowa is the state’s progressive communications hub. Year-round, we promote ideas and causes with research-backed creative media strategies to empower Iowans who want to improve our state. Facebook: ProgressIowa Instagram: @ProgressIowa Threads: @progressiowa.bsky.social
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
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