Author Archives: Paul Deaton

Questions About Our New War With Iran

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Paul Deaton

At 3:15 a.m. CST my phone rang. It was an international call from Jordan. I don’t know anyone in Jordan and the caller did not leave a message. I know a few people who travel in the Middle East from … Continue reading →

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Money And Theresa Greenfield

Posted on December 7, 2019 by Paul Deaton

Theresa Greenfield is a Democrat running for U.S. Senate and appears ahead in the money game. She got positive press after third quarter fundraising numbers were released. She raised $1.1 million in Q3 compared to Joni Ernst who raised less … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Hidden History Of The Supreme Court

Posted on November 30, 2019 by Paul Deaton

The Hidden History of the Supreme Court and the Betrayal of America by Thom Hartmann is a quick but important read for people who want to review the history of the Supreme Court. At 168 pages, the book takes readers … Continue reading →

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Michael Franken For U.S. Senate

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Paul Deaton

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 →

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When To Swallow The Red Pill

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Paul Deaton

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 →

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State Auditor Rob Sand Speaks… Briefly

Posted on August 1, 2019 by Paul Deaton

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 by Paul Deaton

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 by Paul Deaton

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 →

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Jimmy Carter And Prejudice Against Women

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Paul Deaton

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 →

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Politics In Isolation

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Paul Deaton

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