Author Archives: Paul Deaton

Michael Franken For U.S. Senate

Posted on October 30, 2019

Michael Franken (D-Sioux City) announced his intention to run for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate on Monday, Aug. 26. There are now five candidates to challenge Joni Ernst. Franken has been telephoning potential donors and appearing at events around … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 election campaign, Candidates, Joni Ernst, politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When To Swallow The Red Pill

Posted on August 2, 2019

Trish Nelson will be returning to the editor’s desk next week. Among things she did while on hiatus was ride a couple days of RAGBRAI, posting this photograph of pies behind empty church pews. The image says something more although … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 election campaign | Tagged ,

State Auditor Rob Sand Speaks… Briefly

Posted on August 1, 2019

State Auditor Rob Sand spoke at the Zach Wahls birthday fundraiser in rural Johnson County on July 14. He was brief. Sand’s brevity is becoming a feature of his political tenure. Those of us who hear a lot of political … Continue reading →

Posted in politics, Rob Sand | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Taking Seeds From The Prairie

Posted on July 31, 2019

Is it wrong to collect seeds from a prairie restoration project for use in a home garden or another prairie restoration project? I posed the question on social media. While the responses weren’t that many, they were a unanimous yes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Organizing The Organizers

Posted on July 30, 2019

The Democratic Party seems on the brink of descent into a primal ooze as we now debate political staffers forming unions in campaigns. What’s there to debate? Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg gets the overarching policy right. “Freedom means the ability … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 election campaign, Labor | Tagged , ,

Jimmy Carter And Prejudice Against Women

Posted on July 29, 2019

On Jan. 19, 1976, the day of the Iowa precinct caucuses that started Jimmy Carter on a path from relative obscurity to becoming the Democratic nominee for president, I was in U.S. Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson, S.C. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Progressive Community, progressive values | Tagged , ,

Politics In Isolation

Posted on July 26, 2019

It must be hard for out of state political organizers to penetrate the shield of work, family and friends behind which many Iowans spend most of their time. That’s especially true as the large field of presidential candidates self-sorts in … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 election campaign | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Why Racism?

Posted on July 25, 2019

Racism is a feature of the Trump administration geared toward activating marginal voters who support his racist statements to get them to vote to elect Republicans, posits Thom Hartmann in the clip below. “When Trump said this he knew exactly … Continue reading →

Posted in 2020 election campaign | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

What’s Wrong With Our Food System?

Posted on July 24, 2019

There is a strong argument nothing is wrong with our food system. There is a strong argument everything is wrong with our food system. To talk about a “food system” at all presumes a lot that may or may not … Continue reading →

Posted in Local Food | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Data Points To Corporate Influence

Posted on July 23, 2019

Is the Ohio federal court’s recent release of Drug Enforcement Agency data about manufacture and distribution of oxycodone and hydrocodone pills significant? Maybe. I found last week’s Washington Post presentation of scrubbed data engaging for the ten minutes or so … Continue reading →

Posted in Progressive Community, progressive values | Tagged , ,