Real people in this ad, not actors. Republicans supporting Rita Hart for congress.
From the Hart campaign:
With just 6% of voters left undecided, this is still the closest House race in Iowa. For months, we’ve been virtually tied with our divisive opponent, and our hard work is paying off now in these critical final days.
From our inbox:
IA-02 Candidate Rita Hart Takes “Backyard Talks” Tour Across Second Congressional District
With just 16 days to go until Election Day, former State Senator and IA-02 Congressional candidate Rita Hart continued her “Backyard Talks” Tour this past weekend, making stops in Osceola, Knoxville, Oskaloosa, and Sigourney.
Rita spoke with Iowans sharing her message of bringing people together to address the challenges facing working families and rural Iowa. Teachers, veterans, healthcare professionals, labor leaders, seniors, students, and farmers turned out to hear from Rita and share their concerns on issues like protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions and lowering the costs premiums and building an economy that works for everyone not just those at the top and their special interest allies. Rita spoke about the need to fight corruption in Washington and work across the aisle to deliver results for Iowans.
IA02 Candidate Rita Hart:
“We’re getting down to the wire in this election and it was great to meet with voters this weekend and listen to their concerns and what they expect from their representatives in Washington, D.C. They’re tired of the partisan politics and fighting. What I’m hearing is that Iowans want us to come together to tackle issues like COVID, healthcare, creating good jobs, and childcare. This pandemic isn’t over and our small business owners, farmers, and middle-class families are still struggling through no fault of their own. They need relief now. I’ll never stop working because I know every single Iowan needs the guarantee of a good-paying job, with good benefits, and the ability to raise their family and send their kids to school without fear of an unexpected medical bill or missing a mortgage payment. That’s my commitment to the working families of this state.”
In Osceola, Paula Reece: “Rita is honest and she truly has the best interest of Iowa at heart. I appreciate her being able to reach across the aisle to get things done. I know she is going to work hard to do what she needs to do to help rural and urban Iowans.”
In Knoxville, Dr. Ann Fields: “I’m supporting Rita because like so many of us, she has spent her entire life on the farm. She understands the hard work that Iowans put in every day to make our communities stronger for everyone and the challenges facing farmers and rural Iowans. We can trust that Rita will represent us well in Congress.”
In Oskaloosa, school counselor Cory and teacher Kate Trainer: “It is reassuring to see a past educator running for office especially as the current Secretary of Education continues to underfund our public schools which harms our students and their ability to succeed. We need someone with more education experience representing us in Congress.”
Read key coverage from the tour below.
KNIA/KRLS Radio: Rita Hart Visits Knoxville Saturday
“U.S. House of Representatives candidate Rita Hart was in Knoxville Saturday for a “Backyard Talk” as part of her campaign. She says that if elected, she will use her acquired listening skills to make sure every Iowan’s voice is heard on issues important to them.”
“I’m always listening for those voices that are not being heard. The voices that may have the most important thing that can really make a difference. I’m proud to have Democrats, Republicans, Independents, who are supporting this campaign. I think it’s important to listen to all of those voices so we can come up with solutions to the big problems we’re facing today.”
The Oskaloosa Herald: Rita Hart brings ‘Backyard Talks’ to Oskaloosa
Rita Hart addressed a small crowd during a recent campaign stop in Oskaloosa, but that didn’t stop voters from asking big questions. […]
Mahaska County Democratic Chair Eric Palmer first raised concerns about ethanol waivers granted to oil refineries under small refinery exemptions, which affects farmers, the rural Iowa economy and the state’s ethanol plants. Hart says the waivers “should not have been granted in the first place.” […]
“There are so many solutions out there, but we need a strategic plan to get us from here to there,” said Hart. “We need to take into account how to go from this kind of energy into the next kind of energy and not lose a bunch of jobs in the process … we need to utilize all that research out there that tells us where we’re going and how we can get there.”
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Real President
What could be more newsworthy during the final 13 days of the campaign than President Barack Obama returning to the limelight to campaign for Joe Biden?
Well, gullible media, MSNBC, Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow both, yet again fell for a Trump media stunt last night, Lawrence bemoaning that it sadly interfered with their ability to put Barack Obama’s slaying of Trump on the TV because gee, what can they do?
So here’s Barack in Pennsylvania stumping for Biden. Enjoy.
Atlantic, Red Oak, Creston, Marshalltown, Wapello, Burlington, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Fairfield
Sharing from Jackie Norris‘ public FB post. Please spread the word. Click on the Facebook links below for details.
Urgent action alert from JD Scholten:
Wow. That’s all I have to say after looking at Randy Feenstra’s latest fundraising report. 46% of his total comes from PACs and corporate special interests.
This is just the beginning of what we could expect from Randy if he’s elected: the interests of Iowa’s 4th district taking a back seat to corporations and party politics. We’ve had enough of not being a priority from our own representative — it’s time for change.
In 15 days, we can show the establishment in Washington and the giant corporations that take advantage of our communities that this people-powered movement is unbeatable. Or, we’ll fall short, and Randy’s PAC sponsors will secure another yes man in the House.
We can decide the outcome of this race right now. Can you chip in $5 or whatever you can to help?
In the past two months alone, I’ve driven Sioux City Sue 7,786 miles to all 374 towns in our district. After learning about the hardship, the lack of opportunity, the rigged economic system, and more — another yes man for corporations and the 1% is the last thing working people need.
And we don’t have to settle for one. We need to seize our moment and show Feenstra’s PAC donors that we’re not backing down from this fight.
If you’re with me chip in $5 or whatever you can to help bring real change to Iowa and Washington.
Standing Tall for All,
J.D.
From Carissa’s website
“Carissa is a country kid, whose family raised horses and participated in 4H. Growing up, she spent time riding the combine with her grandfather. That farm has been in her family since her great, great grandfather Carl Jonas immigrated to the US in 1866. She also fed calves with her other grandfather, a WWII veteran who left school to farm and then served his country. Education was so important in her family that her grandfather finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of graduating from high school at the age of 80. Her grandmothers did everything on the farm and also spent time in careers as a teacher and nursing aid.”
Watch this powerful video about why Carissa is running.
With the exodus of voters from the Republican Party in the suburbs it looks like another suburban area of Des Moines may be a bit closer than expected this vote. Iowa Senate District 22 is in the western Des Moines suburbs, half in Polk County and half in Dallas County. Cities that are in the district include Clive, Waukee, Windsor Heights and West Des Moines.
The district is currently represented by retiring Senate President Charles Schneider, a Republican. But this year strange things could happen.
The Democratic candidate in district 22 is Sarah Trone Garriott. As you can gather from the video above, Garriott is one of those people who is born to serve. So far she has fulfilled that call as a minister. Today she finds that she may be of more service representing her district in the Iowa legislature.
Over the course of her life, this call has taken many forms. It was what led her to join AmeriCorps right out of college, to help victims of domestic violence. It was what sustained her as a hospital chaplain, caring for people during times of crisis. It was what inspired her to become a Lutheran minister, to provide leadership to communities of faith. And it was what took her out of the parish and into the nonprofit world, to bring diverse people together around a common cause of caring for our neighbors.
Sarah and her husband, Will, have lived all over the country—in rural communities, big cities, and small towns. Like many Iowans, they came here for the opportunity to build a life for their family. But since 2014 she has watched as those things that are most important—good schools, clean water, quality accessible healthcare, economic opportunity, civil rights—get neglected or outright undermined by our state legislature.
She recognizes the challenges that are facing our state and is inspired to step up in leadership for the people of Iowa.
As a parent of two sons, she knows the difference it would make if our state supported child care and public education. As a community member, she has personally encountered how the lack of affordable housing, stagnant wages, and regressive policies have discouraged people from staying in our state or moving to Iowa. As a pastor, she’s seen her neighbors struggle to make ends meet, finding little access to the care and resources they need to thrive. And as a nonprofit leader, she knows that real change could happen if our state government worked collaboratively with nonprofits, business leaders, and citizens.
Like many Democrats in Iowa, Garriott sees plenty of opportunity for improvement in Iowa in the areas of Schools, Health Care, Water Air and Soil, fairer taxes, Diversity and Economic Opportunity.
This could be a surprising year in Iowa politics as many folks may be displaying their displeasure with Republican candidates far down the ballot. Sarah Trone Garriott has issue positions that resonate with Iowa values. If you are in her district help her out with your vote between now and Nov. 3rd. If you can send her a little monetary love you can hit that donate button from her web page here.
It has been nice to have had Dave Loebsack as our congress critter for the past decade plus. He has represented the second district well. He gets out and actually talks to his constituents. He has not been bound by the ideological straight jacket of a Republican. He has truly represented the constituency well.
We would hate to see that end. Rita Hart will carry on Loebsack’s legacy of talking with the people of the second district and actually representing them. Hart’s opponent will be bound by the ideological straight jacket that comes with being a republican these days. That includes reverting health care to pre-ACA days, including the return of pre-existing conditions.
I was trying to come up with an analogy for what trading in a Democratic representative for a Republican representative would be like. The best I can come up with is turning in your brand new laptop for a 1950 Olivetta manual typewriter. As for me, I want to keep my new laptop and all its functionality.
A bit over two weeks left. Expect the SCOTUS to be placed firmly in Republican hands by Halloween in what will be the scariest of power grabs designed to stop any progress that a Biden-Harris Administration can forge.
“I turn on the television, they talked about your floods in Iowa. They talked about how Iowa is doing the crops…. 3-4 stories one after another… Where is my Nobel Peace Prize that they don’t talk about?”
-President of stupid people w/no empathy,
last night, (Wednesday)
to actual Iowans.
– John Fugelsang
Answers:
tip of the hat to http://all-hat-no-cattle.blogspot.com
District 20 Candidate Faces Brad Zaun
Rhonda Martin from her website https://rhondamartinforiowa.com/
One of the most extreme right members of the Iowa legislature is State Senator Brad Zaun of Iowa’s 20th senatorial district in the northwest portion of Polk County. Zaun has been state senator for 16 years. Zaun has been a mainstay in the hard right turn that the Iowa legislature has taken in recent years.
Among the issues that Zaun has backed during his tenure include:
Voter Suppression
Privatizing IPERS for thousands of government workers
Eliminating tenure at our state universities
Welcoming guns on campus
Diverting public funds to private schools
Severely restricting the rights of Iowa women, especially reproductive health rights
Just at a glance it is pretty apparent that Zaun is far to the right even in his party. As the reaction to the disaster that Trump and Governor Reynolds have made of their lack of strategy on the corona virus, many Iowans are understanding that Iowa’s Republican leaders are not working in their interests.
What Iowans are also discovering is that Democrats have solid candidates that will work for Iowans, not for corporation and the wealthy. In Senate district 20 that includes Grimes, Johnston and Urbandale, Iowans find a a candidate in their corner – Rhonda Martin.
Martin is currently a city councilor in Johnston. She is also a landscape architect at Iowa State University. At this point I will let Rhonda Martin speak for herself:
“I am a Democrat running to represent Iowa Senate District 20. My legislative priorities when I’m elected include: sufficiently funding public education at all levels; environmental stewardship; healthcare for all Iowans; innovation in Iowa’s economy; and the practice of good government.
Good government does not come from a mindset of winning at all costs and closed-door deals. Good government comes from working together across the aisle and changing what is not working. Therefore, I will work for and with you to find innovative ways to grow our Iowa economy and help all Iowans.
I want to represent the good people of Grimes, Johnston, and Urbandale, so instead of having to fight bad legislation, we can use our energy to advance good legislation. We will protect the environment, we will support public education, and we will provide quality health care for our most vulnerable citizens.”
The election is barely over 2 weeks away. Rhonda Martin could definitely use some help for that final push. Go to her website and hit that DONATE BUTTON.
Iowa and senate district 20 need the people first views that Rhonda Martin represents.
tip of the hat to http://all-hat-no-cattle.blogspot.com
Back in 1980, Ronald Reagan turned a debate with that question. Since then that has been a question that many of us ask ourselves as we evaluate the candidates in our own minds. As the election nears we can use this question to evaluate both candidates since both have been part of the executive structure of the past two administrations.
So first let’s look at Donald Trump. Are you better off than you were when he took over four years ago? Unless you are one of America’s top 1% the true answer is most likely no. For one thing, no matter who you are your mobility is much more severely limited than it was four years back. Thanks to the corona virus, airplanes are not flying, trains and busses as common transportation are not desirable and even car travel presents challenges.
Can transportation problems be laid at the feet of the current administration? The answer is a resounding YES. As with many parts of our current situation, the lack of any kind of a coherent response from administration to the corona virus has made formerly simple daily activities into potential life threatening exercises.
Going through crowded airports, going through baggage checks and then sitting in tight quarters on a plane for hours a is good opportunity to pick up the corona virus that could be fatal. No matter what form of common carrier you take, that wasn’t a problem before the Trump Administration. Even traveling by car presents some problems such as the use of restrooms or touching common surfaces that was never much of a thought before Trump.
How about health care? As the Trump Administration winds down, the US Senate is in the process of trying to confirm what Republicans believe will most certainly be the fatal blow to the Affordable Care Act. Thus the carefully crafted legislation that was created by the previous administration with Joe Biden as the #2 man will soon become another notch in the right’s legacy of denying health care to Americans. As the fallout from ending the ACA trickles down, most of us will finally realize that we were much better off before Trump.
How about those jobs Trump claims he’s been creating? Even before the corona virus pandemic, job creation was weakening. Since the corona virus pandemic, jobs are crashing month after month. Applications for new unemployment benefits stay near a million a week. When Obama-Biden took over they inherited an economy on the verge of a worldwide collapse. Obama-Biden put together a plan and despite Republican attempts to scuttle the economy, Obama-Biden stuck to the plan and slowly turned a disaster into a huge success.
In just the opposite scenario, the Trump Administration turned an on going success into what is and still may be an epic disaster. Trump is on target to be only the second president who will lose jobs during his term. Iowa’s own Herbert Hoover is the only one to claim that distinction to date.
One area seems to really stick out in this country. The Trump Administration seems hell bent on dividing this country into two or more countries. Divisions in this country do not seem to have been as deep nor as hard set since pre-Civil War. Rather than working to fix common problems, the Trump Administration is tearing America apart over race, wealth, religion and even whether or not we should wear the masks that are essential to stopping the corona virus.
As we talk about division we can also add gender to the mix. The status of women in our society continues to drop as the Administration works hard to get a majority on the Supreme Court to end Roe v. Wade. Speaking of gender, the majority that the Administration is putting together on the Supreme Court will also be targeting gay marriage and decisions that have made both women and gays second class citizens.
Heck, if SCOTUS gets to feeling their power, Brown v. Board of Education may be overturned.
During the Obama-Biden years it felt like all segments of society advanced on the scale of first class citizenship. The Trump Administration has reversed or has plans to reverse nearly all advancement in the past 70 years.
Pick your area to measure and the Obama-Biden Administration years advanced society, whereas the Trump Administration has inhibited and reversed advancement.Even the stock market – the only indicator that Trump seems to care about – has not advanced nearly as much percentage wise as it did in the Obama-Biden years.
About the only area that Trump has advanced is the gap between the wealthy – the 1% – and the rest of us. That is always the sign of a society that is sick. As more and more money accumulates in fewer and fewer hands, economies slow down and are and more go hungry. Soon many of us will no longer have health care and jobs will be coming back much more slowly.
Are you better off than you were four years ago? 99% of us should say no. Are your prospects looking better? In the era of uncontrolled corona virus prospects are almost unknowable.
Will the Trump Administration work to control the corona virus? Their latest plan is to seek “herd immunity” which is a strange concept that involves multiple millions of Americans dying. Or in other words, the Trump Administration plans to do nothing.
When we were asking those same questions in 2012, the answers were nearly 100% that things were better and prospects were good.
Vote where the evidence leads you. Vote for Biden-Harris for America and for yourself.
