Early Voting Starts Today In Iowa

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Trish Nelson

Early voting starts today. The safest way to vote is early, in person at your county auditor’s office.  Vote by mail only if  have no other option.  The period of time to correct any mistakes on your ballot has been shortened by the Iowa legislature and you risk not getting your ballot returned in time if there are errors.

The links below will take you to the Iowa Secretary of State website. The county auditor link will take you to a drop-down menu on the SOS site where you can select your county.

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DeJear v Reynolds

Posted on October 18, 2022 by Trish Nelson

 

 

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DeJear-Reynolds and Mathis-Hinson Debate This Week on Iowa Press

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Trish Nelson

Upcoming debates on Iowa PBS

Iowa Governor Debate
Monday, October 17
Deidre DeJear (D – Des Moines) and Governor Kim Reynolds (R – Des Moines)

2nd Congressional District Debate
Tuesday, Oct 18, 2022
Candidates U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson (R – Marion) and State Senator Liz Mathis (D – Hiawatha)

You can watch KCCI’s earlier Mathis v Hinson debate here:

https://www.kcci.com/article/rep-ashley-hinson-and-challenger-liz-mathis-debate-in-battle-for-iowas-2nd-congressional-district/41590872

Watch Cindy Axne v Zach Nunn on KCCI here:

https://www.kcci.com/article/cindy-axne-zach-nunn-iowa-debate/41545586

Watch Christina Bohannan v Mariannette Miller-Meeks

It appears the Republicans have been coached to say “I’ve always supported exceptions” when confronted about their votes for a national ban on abortion or in Zach Nunn’s case, no exception bills in the Iowa legislature. Nunn voted to amend the Iowa constitution to repeal the right to abortion in 2020 and other abortion restrictive votes. You can find them on VoteSmart all in one place.

As if they don’t know or care votes are recorded and can be looked up, they feel perfectly free to lie. In fact they seem to enjoy it. Obvious lying is a display of contempt for others, and that’s what today’s Republicans are all about, after all. So we shouldn’t be surprised.

Hinson and Nunn also each shamelessly added that their opponent was lying about their records even though they are the ones lying. Feenstra also co-sponsored the Life At Conception Act but has refused to debate his opponent, Ryan Melton.

In the 2nd District debate:

Here is a direct quote by Ashley Hinson after the moderator confronted her about her vote not matching what she says.

KCCI to Ashley Hinson:   “..yet you have pushed for national limits on abortion by co- sponsoring 16 bills that would restrict abortion access, like the Life at Conception Act, which would ban all abortions with no exceptions.”

Hinson:  “Well, I think it’s first and foremost, really important to clarify my position on this because my opponent is frankly lying about my record. I have always supported common sense exceptions.” [Nope. Check her co-sponsorship for the Life at Conception Act at congress.gov.]

Yet Ashley Hinson outright lied right there on the TV saying her opponent was lying about her record. You know she is lying about it because she didn’t correct the KCCK moderator for incorrectly citing her abortion banning votes when the question was posed to her, which someone telling the truth would naturally do.  So she was clearly following Republican marching orders just to say her opponent is lying. If you haven’t noticed they all tell the same lies, you haven’t been paying attention.

In the first district debate:

Iowa Press dropped the ball and forced Bohannan to get the truth out there herself –  Miller-Meeks’ co-sponsorship of the Life at Conception Act which allows no exceptions, is documented at congress.gov.

Miller-Meeks: “First and foremost my position on abortion has always been that I am pro-life with exceptions for life of the mother, rape and incest, and that has not changed.”  Oh yes it has.  Check her co-sponsorship for the Life at Conception Act at congress.gov

The Zach Nunn v Cindy Axne debate on KCCI was such a hot mess I had to bail before it was over. Nunn shamelessly lied saying Axne voted for a bill that would allow killing a baby after it was born (Miller-Meeks suggested this as well).  When Axne responded that this was absolute crazy talk, Nunn rebutted by turning toward her, pointing his finger at her and saying, “You voted for it!” (obviously, performance art). The moderators responded by moving on to the next question.

One has to wonder if these debates cause more harm than good when they are denigrated by Republicans who see them as an opportunity to advance their guerilla warfare on democracy by forcing us to endure outlandish lies and falsehoods.

Let’s watch the DeJear/Reynolds debate and see if Kim Reynolds got the memo… “First and foremost…”

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Every Republican Backs Trump ( The Lincoln Project)

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Dave Bradley

This is a short clip from The Lincoln Project that really, really hits home here in Iowa (1 minute):

Think about this for a minute. For those of you who watched the January 6th Special Committee hearing Thursday who read or heard of it, you know that it tied the whole package together with the central focus for this totally illegal attempted takeover of our government on Donald Trump.

Trump was the one who orchestrated an attack on our government. In times of war, this would be treason. In times of peace, sedition. In any case, felonious. 

Add to that, we know through his own admissions that Trump illegally took Top Secret documents to his home(s). The FBI has recovered some, but we know they haven’t gotten them all back despite Trump lying, saying they had all been recovered. And that is at only one of his residences. 

What he has done with the missing documents we have no idea. Did he sell them? Has he given them to our country’s enemies? Have copies been distributed to to most violent operators in the world looking to damage our country? 

And beyond all this, he spends his days traipsing around the country undermining the very basis on which our government’s legitimacy is based – open and honest elections. His mission currently is to elect candidates who also are trying to undermine the legitimacy of our government. 

If Trump is successful, and the far right extremist Trumpist Party wins a majority in our national government, Trump and his ilk may be able to complete the failed coup of January 6th, 2021 by putting people in place that will pass laws that will make his authoritarian minority government legal. Thus the grand experiment with American democracy will end.

Will “we the people” vote meekly to elect the extremists? Will they believe their lies and imaginary bogey men and vote to end our democracy out of unrealistic fears?

You say this isn’t happening in Iowa. Yet not one Iowa Republican has come out to say that what Trump did was criminal and he must be investigated for his crimes. Instead they have meekly bowed and scraped before Trump. They have acted like a bunch of cowards, seeking out the approval of the Don.

Grassley, Ernst, Feenstra, Nunn, Hinson, Miller-Meeks and Reynolds. Every Republican in Iowa.

And just think, if the extremist Trumpist Republican Party wins control of either house of congress, the leadership will be politicians who are beholden to Donald Trump. Committee chairs will be members who are beholden to Donald Trump. Some committee chairs will have either joined in or supported the attempted coup. In short Donald Trump will be in control of the Congress. He already controls the Supreme Court. This is the recipe for a dictatorship. Kevin McCarthy who has embarrassed himself in bowing to Trump will be Speaker of the House.

So when you cast your vote beginning next week the candidate is not Grassley or Feenstra or Nunn or Hinson or Miller-Meeks or Reynolds. The candidate in those cases are all Trump.

We have candidates who will be standing up for the democracy that made America great since 1776. They are on listed on the ballots as Democrats: Mike Franken for Iowa Senate, Ryan Melton in Iowa’s 4th congressional district, Cindy Axne in Iowa’s 3rd, Liz Mathis in Iowa’s 2nd, Christina Bohannan in Iowa’s 1st and Deidre DeJear for governor.

Democracy depends on your vote.

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Sunday Funday: Pelosi Saved Us Edition

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Dave Bradley

Anyone who watched the Special Committee on January 6th Thursday were made well aware that the two persons in the government who kept their heads about them and tried to stop the insurrection were Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. The radical right reaction is still best exemplified by Josh Hawley hauling ass to save his own skin.

This video shows Pelosi staying cool under fire on January 6th. At about 3:45 Pelosi says she wants to “punch him (Trump) out.” 5 minutes:

Let’s go!

A) Despicable near human Alex Jones was assessed how much in damages Wednesday to families of the Sandy Hook victims?

B) In a televised senate candidate debate in Wisconsin the audience broke out in laughter at a response by which candidate – Mandela Barnes or Senator Ron Johnson?

C) What current British PM fired the Chancellor of the Exchequer in an effort to save her administration?

D) Many were surprised when the Parkland shooter was given what sentence for his murderous rampage?

E) A Pelosi question. Pelosi was born in Baltimore, Md. Her father held what elected position in Baltimore?

F) What two largest American supermarket chains announced they plan to merge?

G) Russian hackers shut down the websites of a dozen what, including Des Moines, Monday morning?

H) BQ1 and BQ1.1 are new variants of what infectious disease that just won’t seem to quit evolving?

I) A Fox commentator drew quizzical responses when he said lunch now costs him $28 a day at what Mexican fast food outlet?

J) The January 6th committee voted unanimously Thursday to subpoena who?

K) Yet another mass shooting, this time by a 15 year old in what major North Carolina city Thursday?

L) The Kersh Bridge – what is it and why is it in the news?

M) SCOTUS handed Trump a major defeat Thursday when it refused to hear an appeal concerning the handling of what case by the 11th Circuit court?

N) Social Security recipients will be receiving a benefit increase of what percent beginning in January?

O) What ‘never really a democrat’ made it official that she was leaving the Democratic Party Tuesday?

P) Yet another climate change harbinger from Alaska as the state called off hunting season for what seafood staple?

Q) SCOTUS also refused to hear an appeal for what racist mass killer from South Carolina last week?

R) Many Americans were truly surprised when what former US Federal Reserve chair received a Nobel prize in economics?

S) Cabot Cove, Maine lost its most famous citizen when what legendary actress died last week?

T) October 16th, 1916 – the first birth control clinic in the US is opened in Brooklyn, New York by who?

{{Republicans are planning to shutdown the government to win huge concessions on SS and Medicare if they control the House or Senate after midterm elections }}

Democrats just increased your monthly Social Security check by 8.7%. Republicans want to abolish Social Security. any questions. – Jeff Tiedrich

Answers:

A) $965 million

B) Ron Johnson

C) Liz Truss

D) life in prison without possibility of parole

E) Mayor (Thomas D’alessandro)

F) Kroger’s and Albertson’s

G) US airports

H) they are subvariants of the Omicron variant of covid

I) Taco Bell

J) Trump

K) Raleigh

L) the Kersh bridge connected the Crimean pennisula to Russia. Somebody blew a major portion of it up last weekend

M) The top secret documents he stole

N) 8.7%

O) Tulsi Gabbard (who?)

P) snow crabs and king snow crabs – populations are being hurt by warm e=waters

Q) Dylan Roof

R) Ben Bernanke

S) Angela Lansbury (Jessica Fletcher)

T) Margaret Sanger

Just a reminder — the top three grocery stores reported total net profits of $2.3 billion in 2022 so far. 

That’s $228 million more than the year before — $228 million that they took from YOU as a consumer. 

 CEOs are using inflation to cover up their greed. –

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Reminder: Early Voting Starts Wednesday: Flip That Ballot Over

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Dave Bradley

This is a simple reminder: Early voting starts Wednesday October 19th. This is about a month later than what Iowans are used to. This is simply because messing with early voting is just one of the tools that Republicans are using to suppress the vote. Since Republican stands on issues are so unpopular, they must do anything they can to keep citizens from voting.

If you do not have a plan to vote make sure you come up with one. If you plan to request an absentee ballot, time is very tight to request a ballot. Instructions can be found on the Secretary of State’s webpage here. But since time is so tight you practically have to go to the auditor’s office to make a request, you may want to just vote while you are there. You can vote at the auditors office starting Wednesday.

I want to especially ask all voters to flip the ballot over and make sure you vote on a couple of important issues. The first is the way over the top Gun Amendment which Trish Nelson discussed in her post Thursday.  

The other is to make sure that we vote NO on retaining Iowa’s Supreme Court judges. By voting them out along with a vote for Deidre DeJear would be a vote to retain sensible women’s health laws in this state. The following is a post I wrote back in July explaining why a vote against retention is needed this fall:

Iowa Supreme Court Building. Credit: wikipedia.org

A big shout out to iowastartingline.com for exposing a quiet portion of the coming election here in Iowa. As they note this November not only will there be the usual elections for offices there will also be what is a little quirk in Iowa’s process to cast a YAY or NAY on a couple of Iowa’s current Supreme Court members.

Usually this almost a perfunctory vote since few citizens follow what courts do in general. But this year due to a convergence of several story lines, this judicial retention vote may produce an unexpected consequence.

The first story line is that the current governor, Kim Reynolds is not wildly popular in the state. The last polling I have seen has her approval numbers under 50% which is a very bad indicator. The poll also had her opponent, Diedre DeJear only a couple of points behind.

The second story line is that the US Supreme Court made a truly unpopular decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that allowed women the right to make their own medical decisions for themselves, including the choice to have an abortion. The decision on the legality of abortions has been put back on the states. Kim Reynolds has been openly and loudly supportive of this decision.

However, Iowans in general and women in particular in Iowa favor their right to make their own choices. The most recent poll I could find for Iowa was from last September. 

 Things may have changed, but I bet not that much. 

The third story line is that Iowa’s Supreme Court is almost fully Republican appointed. This is quite an unbalance especially since Reynolds signed a bill that gave the governor more power in picking the justice nominating commission. Many people might like to see balance restored. As it is now Iowa’s Supreme Court seems to be built to be a rubber stamp for the legislature and the governor instead of being a place to appeal an injustice.

In this particular vote, Justices Dana Oxley and Matthew McDermott are up for the retention vote. Both voted to reverse Iowa’s Supreme Court ruling on abortion. 

Iowans may remember a retention vote from 2010 when the radical right pushed to have justices removed because of the Court’s decision to legalize gay marriage. From the iowastartingline story:

When judicial spots open up in Iowa, a nonpartisan commission studies the credentials of different Iowa lawyers who were nominated for the position. The commission then nominates the individuals it finds most qualified.

For the supreme court, the state judicial nominating commission nominates three people for the governor, who then makes the final decision.

After serving a full year, each judge and justice faces a retention election where Iowans vote “yes” or “no” about whether a justice should remain on the bench. A majority of “yes” votes allow a judge to serve a full term.

The last time Iowa Supreme Court justices were removed through a retention vote was in 2010, following conservative activists’ organizing a “no” vote campaign in response to the court legalizing gay marriage.

So here you go Iowa. Vote Kim Reynolds out. Replace her with a governor – Diedre DeJear – who respects women’s rights to make their own medical and personal decisions. Then also vote ‘NO’ to retain Justices Oxley and McDermott and give the new governor a chance to reshape Iowa’s very right leaning Supreme Court. 

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Bohannan v Miller-Meeks Debate – Whose Answer Was Best For Iowans?

Posted on October 15, 2022 by Dave Bradley

This video from the Christina Bohanan – Mariannette Miller-Meeks debate from a week ago arrived in my mailbox last week. This is the last question of the debate. Let’s watch it (30 seconds):

The question restated a bit is: what do you see as your highest priority if your party takes control of the House?

Miller-Meeks responds first with a party approved response. The knee jerk reaction to the rebuilding of the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). The IRS has been a whipping boy for Republicans for decades since Saint Ronny was president. Republicans have spent decades diminishing the IRS to the point there is hardly anyone left to answer the phone.

Democrats this year included rebuilding the IRS in their Inflation Reduction Act. Without a robust IRS to enforce tax laws, those who can will cheat on paying their fair share of taxes. We see this particularly among people of wealth. Currently the IRS is especially short of auditors to audit the often complex and detailed tax returns of the wealthy and corporations. Knowing this lets those in that group take advantage of that situation.

A Venn diagram of that group laid on top of the group that are major donors to the Republican Party or their Super-Pacs would probably look like one circle. That is to say both groups are probably the same. These are the people who have been helped the most by recent laws that have debilitated the IRS. 

Miller-Meeks and her party when in power are basically beholden to those who put them in power – the wealthy. While Miller-Meeks raised the spector of the bogey man IRS coming after the little citizen, that is only a line to raise fear among those of us who are paying our taxes. What she is really doing is doing what Republicans always do – anything she can to keep the wealthy from paying their fair share. 

Let me add that as the rich don’t pay, the burden of their non-payment falls on our shoulders. Surprise – we get screwed more than one way on this.

In a sense it is like giving the wealthy a kind of behind the scenes tax cut without saying it out loud. Making it seem like the middle class will benefit when it will actually do nothing for folks like you and me. 

On the other hand Christina Bohannan’s answer was not couched in any hidden agenda or coached to sound like a sincere answer when it was actually a rehearsed response to favor specific donors. Bohannan’s answer was very straight forward. 

Keokuk, Iowa is a city of 10,000. They lost their only hospital a week ago Friday. Now residents in need of hospital care must travel at least 20 miles one way for such care. That is relatively short compared to the distance Iowans have to travel in the more sparsely populated western portion of the state. This has been a major problem in the rural areas for a long time and it is getting much worse.

With our for profit health care systems we can expect to see more and more low performing rural hospitals being closed while services are concentrated in major cities. In the case of Keokuk their closest hospitals are now in Carthage, Illinois and Fort Madison, Iowa – both about 20 miles one way. 

What if those hospitals close? Neither are in big towns. Thus it would not be surprising that their hospitals might be stressed. Were they to shut their doors, the next nearest hospitals look to be in Burlington, Iowa and Quincy, Illinois both about 40 miles one way. 

We can expect towns and cities in the under 25,000 population may be in serious jeopardy of losing their hospitals in the next decade or so. Especially if we continue to try to work in this current totally disjointed health care system.

Bohannan was expressing a real need for a lot of Iowans. Her answer is one that confronts the average Iowan daily. Miller-Meeks’ answer was at once a signal to the rich donors that she would take care of them while also sending an unreal sense of fear to those of us in the lower and middle class.

Come Wednesday, I will be trekking to my county auditor’s office to vote for Christina Bohannan. We already have enough party puppets not really representing Iowans.

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Everyone Needs to Watch January 6th Commmittee Hearing

Posted on October 14, 2022 by Trish Nelson

ICYMI. Two hours and 45 minutes. Starts at 11:46. Follow January 6th Committee on Twitter and YouTube.  Do not rely on media reports. Watch it yourself.

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Flip Your Ballot And Vote No On Reckless Gun Amendment

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Trish Nelson


Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner and Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks  discuss Public Measure #1, the Reckless Gun Amendment.  The event was put on by Iowans for Responsible Gun Laws.

They explain why everyone should turn their ballot over this November, and vote NO on Public Measure 1.

I’ve included some notes/highlights of comments by Maybanks and Gardner below the video. Visit Iowans for Responsible Gun Laws Facebook page for more information.

This amendment can nullify common sense gun laws that are on the books and nullify future laws that we might want to pass.

Iowa does not need strict scrutiny for gun owners. It needs common sense gun laws. Strict scrutiny will shoot down common sense gun laws.

What is happening in Linn county –

“As guns regulations have been weakened and eliminated here in the state of Iowa, Possession of Firearms as a felon or domestic abuse offender here in Linn county, for FY 2019 our office charged 15 of those crimes. We’re projected to charge 52 this next FY. For the felony offense of Going Armed With Intent in FY 19 we charged 7 of those crimes. We’re expected to charge 24 this year; we charged 30 lasts year. Intimidation With a Dangerous Weapon which involves the shooting or threatening to shoot firearms. In FY 2019 we charged 8 of those crimes. We’re projected to charge 28 this year.”

“This is a 300% increase in violence used by guns in the last 3 years in Linn county and a 350% increase for Intimidation With a Dangerous Weapon.”

This amendment would make it nearly impossible to pass commonsense gun laws.

Laws that could be STRUCK DOWN under Strict Scrutiny:

  • Possession of firearms by a felon or domestic abuse offenders; This law is supported by 80% of Iowans
  • Carrying firearms on school grounds
  • Carrying while intoxicated
  • Weapons free zones
  • Laws that make persons ineligible to carry firearms if they’re using drugs or have prior assault convictions
  • Laws that allow businesses to limit guns on their property
  • Universal background checks that has 85% support
  • Requiring gun safety courses
  • Extreme risk protection orders

Strict scrutiny prohibits current and future commonsense gun laws.

This amendment is being driven by the Iowa Firearms Coalition and the NRA.

Many people think strict scrutiny means stricter gun laws.  Strict scrutiny does not mean stricter gun laws. It means stricter judicial review that will make passing commonsense gun laws nearly impossible and will allow current gun laws to be challenged as unconstitutional. In other states with strict scrutiny millions in taxpayer dollars are spent on these court challenges.

A NO vote against strict scrutiny is a vote against increased gun violence in Iowa.

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200 National Security Leaders Endorse Mike Franken

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Trish Nelson

Three star Admiral Michael Franken

More than 200 national security leaders including former high-ranking military officers, cabinet and service secretaries, and high-ranking diplomats endorse Admiral Mike Franken over Senator Grassley.

DES MOINES – Retired Admiral and candidate for U.S. Senate Mike Franken is honored to receive the endorsement of National Security Leaders for America, a bipartisan group of former and retired senior public servants who have dedicated and risked their lives in defense of this great nation.

The group of national security leaders includes:

88 Retired General Officers/Flag Officers, including 3 Four-Stars

11 Retired Senior Enlisted

6 Former Cabinet or Service Secretaries

33 Former Ambassadors

141 Democrats

47 Independents

6 Republicans

In the letter, they wrote:

“After years of service to this nation, we know moral courage when we see it. Mike Franken has the moral courage necessary to take on the most pressing threats to our essential yet fragile democracy. He is a patriot who understands that America is more than Red and Blue. He understands his job is to serve his country, not his party.

“A native Iowan, Mike Franken has committed his life to public service, with more than 36 years of uniformed service in the U.S. Navy. He retired as a vice admiral, the Navy’s second-highest rank, with distinguished service at sea and in assignments in the U.S. and abroad. He served as a ship and destroyer squadron commander and commanded the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. It’s no exaggeration to say that he has more combat experience than all the Republican Senators combined.

“As former national security leaders, we all took oaths. Those oaths were not to an individual or a party. They were to the Constitution and the nation of laws it embodies. To this day, our oaths dictate our actions. As a retired senior military officer, Mike Franken clearly understands and respects our Constitution and nation’s laws.

“Our oaths and our values dictate we support Mike Franken to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate. We hope your patriotism and your values guide you to vote for him as well.

Read the endorsement letter below:

To our fellow citizens in Iowa:

National Security Leaders For America (NSL4A) is a bipartisan group of former and retired senior public servants who have dedicated and risked our lives in defense of this great nation.

We are veterans, diplomats, and national security officials and above all, we are committed to the American idea that the people, free from the threat of violence and guided by the facts and their conscience, should choose their leaders. We have served this nation, and our Constitution, faithfully against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

That is why we, the undersigned, endorse Mike Franken in his bid to serve as the next senator from Iowa. He is the leader Iowa and the country need today.

Mike Franken is prepared to stand up against all that threatens our democracy. He will stand up to those who use violence to achieve political ends. As Iowa’s Senator he will stand up to people who lie about elections, and he will stand up to those who prefer the rule of authoritarianism over our own democracy and inalienable rights.

After years of service to this nation, we know moral courage when we see it. Mike Franken has the moral courage necessary to take on the most pressing threats to our essential yet fragile democracy. He is a patriot who understands that America is more than Red and Blue.

He understands his job is to serve his country, not his party.

Many of us have served in dangerous assignments overseas. We know what happens when party loyalties replace patriotism. We know what happens when people decide violence is acceptable. We support Mike Franken because he understands that we cannot allow that to happen here, to our fellow citizens.

A native Iowan, Mike Franken has committed his life to public service, with more than 36 years of uniformed service in the U.S. Navy. He retired as a vice admiral, the Navy’s second-highest rank, with distinguished service at sea and in assignments in the U.S. and abroad. He served as a ship and destroyer squadron commander and commanded the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa. It’s no exaggeration to say that he has more combat experience than all the Republican Senators combined.

Franken’s opponent, Chuck Grassley, has served in the U.S. Senate for four decades. He opposed the Affordable Care Act and has voted to repeal it. Grassley also supported the overturn of the Roe v. Wade decision, taking away from women their rights to make health care decisions.

As former national security leaders, we all took oaths. Those oaths were not to an individual or a party. They were to the Constitution and the nation of laws it embodies. To this day, our oaths dictate our actions. As a retired senior military officer, Mike Franken clearly understands and respects our Constitution and nation’s laws.

Our oaths and our values dictate we support Mike Franken to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate. We hope your patriotism and your values guide you to vote for him as well.

Respectfully,

Click here to see the list of 200 names.

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