Fox News Staffer “Pro-Trump Thing Isn’t Working”

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Trish Nelson

From Media Matters for America –

mediamatters.org/blog/2018/06/04/fox-news-reportedly-having-difficulty-selling-ads

Fox News in trouble: “The pro-Trump thing isn’t working”

Fox News is reportedly having trouble selling ads for Sean Hannity’s and Laura Ingraham’s shows. One Fox News staffer told Vanity Fair‘s Gabriel Sherman that “The pro-Trump thing isn’t working. We can’t monetize DACA and the wall and that right-wing shit.”

This follows an October 2017 report that Fox News’ ad revenue had dropped 17 percent, while revenue for its competitors had remained virtually unchanged.

The toxic conspiracy theories, the pro-Trump propaganda, the racism and sexism and bigotry, and the extreme measures to defend anything that comes out of the White House (including conspiracy theories, racism, sexism, and bigotry) make Fox News unsafe for most advertisers. And whether it’s Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham’s show, the core issue is that Fox News management, from the Murdochs on down, is not interested in fixing the problem.

Also: Once again, Fox News anchor Shep Smith has debunked a pro-Trump lie spread by Hannity. This same thing keeps happening.

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Dave Loebsack Works for Rural Health Care And Rural Broadband

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Trish Nelson

Loebsack Praises FCC’s Action to Increase Funding for the Rural Health Care Program

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to raise the cap on the Universal Service Fund’s Rural Health Care Program by $171 million. This new investment brings the cap for this fund to $571 million, which helps provide access to high speed internet for rural health care providers. In 2016, Loebsack worked to get legislation signed into law that made skilled nursing facilities eligible to receive funds through this program.

“I am pleased that the FCC voted to raise the amount of funding available through the Rural Health Care Program, which has not seen an increase since 1997. It is essential that all the different components of the USF are fully supported, and ensuring rural healthcare providers and their facilities have access to broadband internet is necessary for both patients and doctors. The demand has exceeded the amount of funding available through the Rural Health Care Program and this increase will allow more providers in our rural communities to have access to broadband to better treat patients.”

Background on Loebsack’s Rural Health Care Connectivity Act

Skilled nursing facilities are an integral part of the healthcare system, particularly in rural areas. Access to broadband at reasonable rates helps them give high quality care to their patients. Many skilled nursing facilities are increasingly dependent on access to broadband, especially if they have little access to hospitals nearby. While many other rural healthcare providers have access to Rural Health Care Program funds, skilled nursing facilities did not. Allowing these facilitates to participate in the Rural Health Care program helps these facilities develop new and innovative technologies and practices, such as tele-health and telemedicine.

###

Connect with Dave

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Could Trump-Kim Summit Bring Improved Relations?

Posted on June 11, 2018 by Trish Nelson

by Ralph Scharnau

President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are scheduled to meet in Singapore on June 12. The paramount issue will be nuclear weapons.

US-North Korean relations have been marked by conflict and distrust: the Korean Warand a divided peninsula; a cold war interspersed with violent incidents; no formal diplomatic relations; and numerous unsuccessful attempts at talks and agreements to halt North Korean weapons programs. This amounts to a roller coaster game of brinkmanship. There have been talks about talks with two unpredictable world leaders trading threats and blandishments.

After a year of breakthrough missile launches and a sixth nuclear test, Mr. Kim abruptly
put his country on a path toward talks with Mr. Trump. In the weeks leading up to the proposed summit, Mr. Kim has taken very public steps to lay the groundwork for negotiations, including releasing three American prisoners, suspending weapons tests, and demolishing his country’s only nuclear test site.

North Korea now has as many as 60 nuclear weapons, seen as the best guarantee of
survival despite decades of negotiations, international sanctions and threats of war. The words “nuclear state” are even enshrined in its constitution. North Korea’s new interest in negotiating with the Trump administration comes down to security and trade. Over the past few years, the United States, the United Nations, China, and others have imposed economic sanctions as a tool to reign in the North’s expanding nuclear program.

Kim now believes that his country has standing as a nuclear nation. He sees this, in turn,
as a negotiating strategy to lift the punishing economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the United Nations.

The Trump administration’s earlier North Korean policy relied on aggressive military
posturing as a form of containment. These included staging military exercises, increasing troop levels, and threatening annihilation in the event of warfare. Just days after accepting Kim’s early March invitation to meet, President Trump pulled out of the highly anticipated summit even though he said that talks might simply be postponed.

That the door to the talks remains open came with North Korea calling for Trump to reconsider as well as support for talks from South Korea and the UN.  South Korean President Moon Jae-in plays a role too. Moon and Kim have cooperated in the recent Olympics, opened more opportunities for family visits, connected the two nations
with a hot-line, and explored the signing of an official peace treaty.

Actually, both the United States and North Korea have threatened to cancel the talks. It
seems likely now though that they will occur. It will be interesting to see how Trump responds since he lacks a basic understanding of nuclear technology and diplomacy procedures. While he regards himself as the ultimate deal maker, he has no experience in diplomatic statecraft.

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Reynolds And Church & State

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Dave Bradley

Will Iowa’s Governor defy the Constitution again this year?

The First Amendment of the constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Reynolds-bible-reading-proclamation-226x300

sorry this is hard to read – better image here

About this time of year for the past several years the governor of Iowa has either ignored or acted in contradiction to the very first phrase of the Bill of Rights and taken it upon themselves to promote Christianity as the religion favored by the state of Iowa. That is Governors Branstad and now Reynolds have issued a proclamation “encouraging all Iowans to join in this historic Iowa 99 county Bible reading marathon.” Sounds like establishing a religion to me, since the Bible is basically tied to Christianity

The proclamation is usually made about now, so if it hasn’t already happened I think we can expect it shortly.

Proclaiming Christianity as the favored religion is a quite popular thing to do. During an election year it could be used as quite the little cudgel to contrast your love of the Holy with your opponent’s lack of proclaiming Bible reading to be done on government property. A little thing like not being constitutional shouldn’t stop a political party or politician that believes the constitution should be ignored on this.

Just did some back of the envelope figuring on how many Iowans will be having their rights ignored by our governor. Iowa has a population of about 3 million. Of those 75% are adults or about 2.25 million. Of those about 25% list “none” as their religion or about 562,000 Iowans.

Finding out that Christianity in Iowa was down to 77% was a bit of a surprise, but Christianity across the country has been dropping rather fast. I think there are two factors to account for that. The first would be the internet and the ability to exchange ideas that were once hard to find material and comrades on.

The second is I believe those who claim to be Christians yet commit some pretty nasty acts. One need only look at Donald Trump and many of his actions such as his sexual exploits, the way he treats women and his past record of financial chicanery just to name a few. Then to have religious hierarchy claim he is a great Christian certainly gives the religion a black eye.

Iowa’s situation is hardly unique. Christians in particular have been trying to usurp the levers of government from the first days of the republic. And it goes on today. A report on rightwingwatch.org reveals just how intertwined Church and State are in the current administration:

In a conference call with a conservative evangelical group last week, Ralph Drollinger, the pastor who leads weekly fundamentalist Bible studies for members of the House, Senate and President Trump’s Cabinet, asked participants to pray that God would inspire Cabinet members to use their platforms to fulfill the Great Commission—the biblical command given by Jesus to his followers to “make disciples of all nations”—and praised Vice President Mike Pence for helping pick Cabinet members who “really [love] the Lord.”

<<snip>>

Drollinger’s weekly written Bible studies, which are available online, instruct public officials that the government’s job is to “quell evil” and punish sin; that “as a lawmaker it is incumbent on you to stand for the death penalty”; that entitlement programs lack “any basis of biblical authority”; that “radical environmentalism” is a “false religion”.

<<snip>>

On Friday’s call, several leaders led prayers, followed by periods in which conference lines were unmuted and everyone could hear the unintelligible cacophony of 1,000 people (Kubal’s figure) praying at once. Kubal asked Drollinger what intercessors should pray for regarding the Cabinet.

First, said Drollinger, pray that he’d be able to move his Cabinet study into the White House compound, specifically into the vice president’s conference room in the Eisenhower Building—also known as the Old Executive Office Building. Right now, he said, security logistics make it hard for Pence and Trump to attend the Bible studies. But if they were held in that conference room, which he said is about 100 yards from the Oval Office through a tunnel, Pence and Trump could just drop in when they’re around.

Much more at the link. I think we can safely say that among this group the good of the country takes a back seat to their (I would say) distorted religious priorities.

That should scare the bejeezus out of you.

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Sunday Funday: Net Neutrality Ends Tomorrow Edition

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Dave Bradley

 

Dear Leader gives America a hum job: 1 minute

Will we be able to post such videos tomorrow?

One of the Republican’s and of course Dear Leader’s targets gets a direct hit about this time tomorrow morning as net neutrality officially ends. Don’t expect dramatic changes Monday morning, but there will no doubt be some subtle changes filter in to begin with. This now puts corporations in control of most of the mass media in this country – TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and now the internet – the full gamut. Our voices are now about as diversified as voices were in the old Soviet Union when they had Pravda and Tass.

I think it was Keith Olbermann who once said that our media covers the range from the right wing to the extreme right wing.

Once again a strange and disquieting week as we rush to oligarchy.

  1. Following Tuesday’s primaries, what Iowan has a chance to become the youngest woman elected to congress?
  1. The big meeting is ON! (So far) What world leaders are scheduled to meet in Singapore next Tuesday?
  1. What football team refused to show up to the White House for a reception for them?
  1. What other sports teams then said that if they were to win, they would not accept an invitation to the White House?
  1. In Tuesday’s primaries Iowa Democrats selected who as their gubernatorial candidate?
  1. In a ruling Monday, SCOTUS ruled for what side in the case of the baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding?
  1. Saying it will no longer judge contestants on their appearance what annual pageant announced it would drop its swimsuit competition?
  1. In some sad news, what two nationally known personalities committed suicide tis week?
  1. Defending his invocation of “national security” as the reason for imposing tariffs on Canadian products, Dear Leader told Justin Trudeau that Canadians committed what act of war?
  1. Alice Johnson was in the news last week. Do you remember why?
  1. Deidre DeJear will be the first African American nominated to run for state office in Iowa nominated by primary. What office is she running for?
  1. In one of the strangest stories to come to light last week, EPA head Scott Pruitt had an aide try to purchase what from a Dear Leader’s hotel?
  1. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cancelled most of the senate’s August break in an attempt to do what?
  1. What source of huge Republican money and organization announced he will retire from politics due to illness last week?
  1. Who claims that he has an “absolute right” to pardon himself?
  1. What major figure in the Russian interference investigation was accused of witness tampering last week?
  1. In an attempt to avoid real issues Iowa’s Governor Kim Reynolds attacked her new opponent claiming he’s never had to do what?
  1. Inconsistent and strange US trade policies has put what group of Iowans livelihood in jeopardy?
  1. Even though it is not even a top ten world economy, what country does Dear Leader believe should be in the G7?
  1. What former professional athlete will subpoena Dear Leader and Vice Dear Leader (Pence) in his collusion lawsuit against the NFL?

One of the problems with government housing (6 minutes)

Answers:

  1. Abby Finkenauer in the 1st district
  1. Kim Jung Un and Dear Leader
  1. Philadelphia Eagles
  1. NBA teams Cleveland and San Francisco
  1. Fred Hubbell
  1. They ruled that the baker could refuse to bake a wedding cake for the same sex marriage
  1. The Miss America Pageant
  1. Kate Spade (designer) and Anthony Bourdain (chef)
  1. They burned down the White House in the War of 1812 (long before Canada was a country)
  1. She was pardoned of her drug conviction after Kim Kardashian intervened on her behalf with Dear Leader
  1. Secretary of State
  1. A USED mattress – never had heard why he had to have a USED mattress from a Trump hotel
  1. Keep incumbent Democratic senators from campaigning during that time
  1. David Koch
  1. Dear Leader
  1. Paul Manafort
  1. Balance a family check book because he was born rich
  1. Pork producers
  1. Russia – surprised?
  1. Colin Kaepernick

Obama race relations

Posted in #trumpresistance, Blog for Iowa, Humor | Comments Off on Sunday Funday: Net Neutrality Ends Tomorrow Edition

Don’t Forget: SS And Medicare Are Republicans Next Targets

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Dave Bradley

Image (2) social-security-card-300x182.jpg for post 28524

One Of Many Big Issues In This Year’s Election.

Topher Spiro

 

Topher Spiro Retweeted John Harwood

After cutting taxes, they want to cut Social Security and Medicare to pay for it. Make no mistake: this is on the ballot in November.

more:

Conor Lamb: “Within 12 hours of giving away our tax dollars to the wealthy and big corporations, Speaker Paul Ryan announced that he would try to pay for it by coming after Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid.”

Now that the primaries are over and the candidate questions are clarified, it is time to focus on the issues. Or at least it is for Democrats. Republicans never want to specifically discuss issues, because then they have s standard that they can be held to. Also, the solutions to issues that are popular now are mostly the Democratic positions.

So Republicans are hemmed in by their refusal to actually make a promise because their solutions to the issues that real Americans and Iowans face are extremely unpopular. So they tend to talk about being tough by using your children and your money to build a massive war machine or about loving Jesus or about cutting taxes without ever mentioning the ultimate consequences of those cuts.

This next election brings into clear focus the consequences of the totally irresponsible tax cuts passed by Republicans both at the national and state level. 

Social Security and Medicare (and Medicaid also) are among the most popular and perhaps the most ubiquitous programs ever put in. Most every family in this country has a relative or friend who has been helped through at least. One of these programs. That will not stop Republicans from doing so.

What Republicans won’t do is talk about their plans to deeply cut if not do away with these programs. In every speech this summer and fall, every Democrat must expose this plan. They must force Republicans to tell us what they plan to do and what the consequences will be at the family level. 

Democrats must also make people understand that the cuts in SS, Medicare, Medicaid and any social program is being only so that the very richest 1% can get huge tax cuts. 

Social Security Works notes in a recent email that:

On the heels of attacks by local FOX stations, the Social Security Trustees just released their annual report. It is not gloom and doom as Wall Street “investors” would like you to believe. In fact, the report shows that when millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share, we can afford to EXPAND Social Security benefits for millions of Americans.

We have the truth about Social Security. Now it’s time for action!

The new report shows that:

•Social Security continues to be extremely affordable with less than one penny of every dollar spent on administrative costs (this is a fraction of what other industrialized countries pay for similar programs); 

•Social Security can pay out ALL benefits owed for the next 16 years―until 2034―at which point it can still pay 79% of benefits owed; 

• All we need is for millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share and we can extend the lifespan of the trust fund and expand benefits for millions of Americans. 

Right now, the average annual Social Security benefit is less than $16,000. And the new Trustees Report confirms that expanding vs. cutting Social Security’s modest benefits is a question of values and choice, not affordability.

And yet, Wall Street, Republicans in Congress and their propaganda machine want us to believe that the only way to “save” Social Security is by raising the retirement age and cutting benefits.

Stand with Social Security Works and demand that Congress act to expand Social Security’s modest benefits for millions of Americans.

When the wealthiest members of society pay their fair share, we can extend the lifespan of the trust fund, expand Social Security benefits for millions of Americans and begin addressing the United States’ looming retirement income crisis.

Together, we’re telling Washington politicians where the American people stand: Expand, don’t cut, Social Security!

Expand, don’t destroy!

In a similar fashion at the state level the Republican tax cut will have Iowa looking like Kansas in just a few years with local governments cutting services way back and schools struggling to pay staff while Iowa’s wealthiest citizens pile up the money in their bank accounts. 

We know what will happen, this road has been travelled by others. 

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Unbelievable: Trump DOJ Refuses To Defend ACA In Court

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Dave Bradley
Truman on health care

A very old idea that has been blocked by Republicans forever

Pre-existing Conditions Protection Will Be Taken From 130 million Americans.

Do you feel like you are at war? The current government is doing all it can to make your life painful all in the service of giving tax breaks to the wealthy. 

Stunning developments Thursday evening when the US DOJ announced it would not defend the ACA in a court challenge.

Joan McCarter at dailykos.com has a fairly succinct synopsis of the situation:

The Trump administration just demonstrated how far it is willing to go to destroy the Affordable Care Act, and not incidentally, the institutional integrity of the Justice Department with it. On Thursday evening, Jeff Sessions’ Justice Department announced that it will not defend the ACA against the latest ridiculous attack against the law, breaking with the long-standing tradition of the executive branch arguing to uphold existing laws.

After passage of the GOP tax scam at the end of last year, which zeroed out the tax penalty for people who fail to purchase health insurance, 20 states filed suit. They argue that the Supreme Court ruling in NFIB v. Sebelius upholding the constitutionality of the law declared that the individual mandate was a tax and now that the penalty for going without insurance is gone but the requirement to buy insurance is not, the mandate is unconstitutional. They go further, ridiculously, declaring that that means the entire law is unconstitutional, arguing that the consumer protections of the law are invalid. It’s ridiculous. But the Trump administration is going along with it.

In a brief filed in a Texas federal court and an accompanying letter to the House and Senate leaders of both parties, the Justice Department agrees in large part with the 20 Republican-led states that brought the suit. They contend that the ACA provision requiring most Americans to carry health insurance soon will no longer be constitutional and that, as a result, consumer insurance protections under the law will not be valid, either.

It’s unprecedented enough that three of the career lawyers at the department who had been working on the case “abruptly withdrew from the litigation.” This is a much bigger problem than just the threat it poses to the ACA. As University of Michigan law professor Nicholas Bagley, says, “If the Justice Department can just throw in the towel whenever a law is challenged in court, it can effectively pick and choose which laws should remain on the books. That’s not a rule of law I recognize. That’s a rule by whim. And it scares me.” 

Throwing 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions to the wolves is the latest and most cynical action by Republicans in the administration, in the House, in the Senate and in state legislatures across the country. 

Your health is being sacrificed so billionaires can get tax cuts. Remember that when the huge hospital bill comes. Bankruptcy due to medical bills – which never really went away thanks to Republicans – will once again become a real scourge in this country.

Health care and access to health care are once again at the top of political issues in this country thanks to Republicans at all levels catering to their donor class and special interests.

Don’t forget that the Republican controlled Iowa legislature passed a bill last March that sidestepped the mandate for insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. This will go into effect in Iowa July first. Details can be found here  

Thus we see that the Republican at all levels are launching an all out unprecedented attack. Who are they attacking? The citizens of the United States of America! There is no other way to look at it. Republicans in the state legislature, in the national legislature and in executive positions in the state and at the national level have launched a war on your health.

If you think losing pre-existing condition protections will not affect you, just wait a couple of years and it will. Very few escape health issues that the insurance companies refuse to cover. 

This fall when you step into that ballot box you’d better understand that if you vote for a Republican at any level, you are voting to take health care away. Nationally, Republicans are trying to cripple the CHiP program for children by drastically cutting funds. They are trying to take away ACA pre-existing condition protections and they are working to defund and cripple both Medicare and Medicaid.

THIS FALL YOU HAD BETTER PLAN ON VOTING AS IF YOU LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE THIS YEAR IT DOES!

Republican-health-care-plan

Posted in 2018 Election Campaign, Affordable Care Act, Blog for Iowa, Health Care & Medicare | Tagged , | Comments Off on Unbelievable: Trump DOJ Refuses To Defend ACA In Court

Democratic Weekend of Action June 8-10

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Trish Nelson

From the desk of Rob Hogg:

Join Democratic Weekend of Action, Meet U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Oregon), June 8-10

Mark your calendars now for our
“Summer Solstice Fundraiser” in Cedar Rapids, Thursday, June 21, 6 to 8 p.m.

Plus Other Upcoming Events in Mount Vernon, Hiawatha, Corning, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and West Des Moines

Dear Friends:

With the primary on Tuesday, we now have our slate of candidates set – see list of candidates seeking positions currently held by Republicans at end of this email.

I hope you are ready to help elect Democrats across the state. This is necessary to stop and reverse the damage the Republican majority has been doing to working families, education, health care, public safety, seniors, and our natural resources, and start making progress instead.

We need volunteers and financial contributions to make this a reality. I encourage you to get involved, and if you need my assistance, please feel free to email me at senatorrobhogg@gmail.com.

Here are upcoming events I will be attending where you can get more involved in Cedar Rapids, Mount Vernon, Hiawatha, Corning, Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and West Des Moines.

Iowa Democratic Party Weekend of Action, June 9-10

Join me for one or more of these four events this “weekend of action” in Linn County:

1. Voter Outreach for Christian Andrews, Mount Vernon (Saturday, June 9, 10:00 a.m. to noon) – I will be helping Christian Andrews, state representative candidate in Iowa House District 95, for door-to-door voter outreach, starting from a private residence at 203 Old Lincoln Highway in Mount Vernon. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/170957373749842/

2. House District 65 Canvass and Phone Bank, Cedar Rapids (Saturday, June 9, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) – I will be doing voter outreach event starting from a private residence at 3032 Ridgemore Drive SE in Cedar Rapids. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/763482410706685/

3. Free Community BBQ with Eric Gjerde, Hiawatha (Sunday, June 10, noon to 4:00 p.m.) – I will attend at least some of this event to support Eric, state representative candidate in Iowa House District 67, at Guthridge Park, N. 10th Ave. and Lyndhurst Drive, in Hiawatha. For more details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/382580925478969/

4. Ice Cream Social with Rep. Art Staed, Cedar Rapids (Sunday, June 10, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.) – Rep. Staed and I are hosting an ice cream social at Kenwood Park, corner of Eastern Ave. NE and 35th Street NE, in Cedar Rapids. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/980326245469193/

Meet U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, June 8 and June 10

Senator Merkley is a strong national leader for climate action and former state legislator who successfully helped turn Oregon into a Democratic-leaning state. He is seen as a potential candidate for President in 2020.

He will be in Cedar Rapids on Friday, June 8, starting at 7:00 p.m. for a public event with Progress Iowa at the Backpocket Pilot Pub, 415 3rd St. SE, in downtown Cedar Rapids. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/247317605827067/

He also plans to join Art Staed and me for our ice cream social on Sunday, June 10, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at Kenwood Park in northeast Cedar Rapids.

This is two chances to meet Senator Merkley. I hope you can attend one or both events. He also has other events scheduled in Iowa so check your local party for more details.

Western Iowa Events For Denise O’Brien and John O’Brien, June 15 and June 17

On Friday, June 15, I will be helping Denise O’Brien with her campaign kickoff for state representative in Iowa House District 21 (Union, Adams, Cass, and Pottawattamie Counties) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Upper Shelter at Lake Icaria State Park near Corning. For more details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2169430573276003/

On Sunday, June 17, starting at 5:00 p.m., I will be helping John O’Brien with a “Father’s Day Fundraiser” at his house, 2221 22nd Ave. North, in Fort Dodge. John is state senate candidate in Iowa Senate District 5 in Webster, Humboldt, Pocahontas, and Calhoun Counties. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/OBrienForSenate/

Fundraising Events, June 19 and June 21

Please join me for one of two fundraising events for my campaign committee, “Citizens for Rob Hogg.” The first will be Tuesday, June 19, at Tumea and Sons, 1501 SE 1st St., in Des Moines, with State Representative Todd Taylor (now candidate for state senate). Todd will be there from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and I will be there starting around 5:00 p.m.

The second will be Thursday, June 21, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., the Summer Solstice Fundraiser with State Representatives Liz Bennett and Art Staed at Dublin City Pub, 415 1st St. SE, in downtown Cedar Rapids on the riverfront. This will be our biggest fundraiser ever on the longest day of the year. Each of us has opponents this year and we need to raise additional funds. Parking is free in downtown Cedar Rapids starting at 6 p.m. Please join us for refreshments and a nice evening. For more details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2001688863381520/

If you can’t attend these events, but you would like to contribute, please send a check to “Citizens for Rob Hogg,” P.O. Box 1361, Cedar Rapids, IA 52406, or contribute online at:   https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/hoggforstatesenate

Volunteer Training in West Des Moines, June 20, with Claire Celsi and Kristin Sunde

I will be holding a volunteer training with state senate candidate Claire Celsi and state representative candidate Kristin Sunde on Wednesday, June 20, from noon to 1:00 p.m. at the West Des Moines Public Library, 4000 Mills Civic Parkway, in West Des Moines. For details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2175780019300150/

As always, I hope this information is helpful, and I hope to see you at one or more of these events. Together, with a renewed spirit of citizenship, we can build a better future for Iowans.

Rob

Senator Rob Hogg
Cedar Rapids
www.robhogg.org

+++++

UPDATED LIST OF CANDIDATES

Here is the updated list of Democratic candidates across Iowa running for seats currently held by Republicans. Please adopt one or more of these candidates to help financially and with volunteer time so we can stop and reverse the damage Republicans are doing to our state. The next state legislative campaign finance deadline is Saturday, July 14. For more details, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/736561513134740/

First District Congress:
Abby Finkenauer

Third District Congress:
Cindy Axne

Fourth District Congress:
J.D. Scholten

Governor:
Fred Hubbell

Secretary of Agriculture:
Tim Gannon

State Auditor:
Rob Sand

Secretary of State:
Deidre DeJear

Senate Candidates:
SD3 – Dave Dawson (Sioux City / LeMars)
SD5 – John O’Brien (Fort Dodge)
SD7 – Jackie Smith (Sioux City)
SD11 – Sara Ramsey (Corning)
SD13 – Vicky Brenner (Indianola)
SD19 – Amber Gustafson (Ankeny)
SD25 – Tracy Freese (Iowa Falls)
SD41 – Mary Stewart (Ottumwa / Fairfield)
SD47 – Marie Gleason (Bettendorf)

House Candidates:
HD1 – Karen Larson (Larchwood / Spirit Lake)
HD2 – Ryan Odor (Spencer)
HD5 – Andrew Emanuel (Le Mars)
HD6 – Rita DeJong (Sioux City)
HD7 – Debra Jensen (Estherville / Forest City)
HD8 – Connie Price (Britt / Clarion)
HD10 – Jake Thompson (Rockwell City)
HD12 – Peter Leo (Audubon / Carroll)
HD16 – Steve Gorman (Council Bluffs)
HD17 – Jan Creasman (Onawa / Ida Grove)
HD19 – Gregg Gustafson (Adel)
HD20 – Warren Varley (Guthrie Center / Greenfield)
HD21 – Denise O’Brien (Atlantic / Creston)
HD22 – Ray Stevens (Avoca)
HD23 – Chuck Larson (Glenwood / Red Oak)
HD24 – James Uhlenkamp (Mount Ayr)
HD25 – Ryan Marquardt (Winterset)
HD27 – Richard Foster (Osceola)
HD28 – Ann Fields (Knoxville)
HD30 – Kent Balduchi (Altoona)
HD37 – Andrew Rasmussen (Ankeny)
HD38 – Heather Matson (Ankeny)
HD39 – Karin Derry (Johnston)
HD42 – Kristin Sunde (West Des Moines)
HD43 – Jennifer Konfrst (Clive)
HD44 – Kenan Judge (Waukee)
HD47 – David Weaver (Boone)
HD48 – Tim Winter (Webster City)
HD49 – Brenda Brink (Nevada / Eldora)
HD50 – Dennis Evans (Iowa Falls / Grundy Center)
HD51 – Tim Knutson (Osage)
HD55 – Kayla Koether (Decorah)
HD56 – Lori Egan (Waukon)
HD57 – Nancy Fett (Dyersville)
HD58 – Joe Oclon (Bellevue / Maquoketa)
HD60 – David Williams (Cedar Falls)
HD63 – Eric Stromberg (Waverly)
HD67 – Eric Gjerde (Hiawatha)
HD68 – Molly Donahue (Marion)
HD72 – Mindy Benson or Dave Degner (Tama / Toledo)
HD73 – Jodi Clemens (Tipton)
HD75 – Paula Denison (Vinton)
HD76 – Ann Egley (Williamsburg / Grinnell)
HD78 – Kimberly Davis (Washington / Sigourney)
HD79 – Samantha Keith (Oskaloosa / Pella)
HD80 – Susan McDanel (Albia / Centerville)
HD84 – Jason Moats (Mt. Pleasant)
HD88 – Lanny Hillyard (Mediapolis / Columbus Junction)
HD91 – Laura Liegois (Muscatine)
HD92 – Jean Simpson (Eldridge)
HD94 – Joan Marttila (Bettendorf)
HD95 – Christian Andrews (Center Point / Central City / Mt. Vernon)
HD96 – Reenie Montgomery (Anamosa / Manchester / Monticello)
HD97 – Tim McClimon (DeWitt)

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March For Our Lives: Road To Change

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Trish Nelson

https://marchforourlives.com/road-to-change/

This summer, the students of March For Our Lives are making stops across America to get young people educated, registered, and motivated to vote. We call it March For Our Lives: Road to Change.

When people across the country rallied at the March For Our Lives just over 2 months ago, we showed our politicians that we refuse to accept gun violence as an unsolvable issue. Now it’s time to turn our energy into action.

The Road to Change kicks off on Friday, June 15 in Chicago, where we’ll be joining the Peace March, led by students from St. Sabina Academy.

From there we are traveling from city to city, with more than 50 planned stops in over 20 states including Iowa, Texas, California, South Carolina, and Connecticut. We’ll also hold a separate Florida tour with more than 25 stops, visiting every congressional district.

We’re going to places where the NRA has bought and paid for politicians who refuse to take simple steps to save our lives — and we’ll be visiting a number of communities that have been affected by gun violence to meet fellow survivors and use our voices to amplify theirs.

At each stop, we’ll register young people to vote and educate them on the reforms we need to save lives, and whether their local elected officials support these reforms or support the NRA.

For more information about the Road to Change, text CHANGE to 977-79.

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Loebsack To House Republican Leadership: Cancel August Recess

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Trish Nelson


Loebsack Calls on House Republican Leaders to Follow the Senate and Cancel August Recess

House has only been in session for 56 days this year

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement calling on House Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to follow the lead of their Senate counterparts and cancel the planned August recess. Today marks the 156th day of the year and the House has only been in session for a total of 56 days.

“It is beyond unacceptable that the House has only been in session for 56 days so far this year. The people of Iowa sent me here to work on issues that affect their lives and only being in session for one-third of the time is no way to get anything accomplished,” said Loebsack. “Today, I am calling on House Republican leaders to follow the lead of the Senate and cancel the planned August recess. We cannot afford to close up shop for over five weeks this summer, leaving behind a seemingly endless list of issues to deal with. Iowans deserve better and I stand ready to work with anyone to help move our state and nation forward.”

Among the issues that have not been dealt with include:

·       Farm bill,

·       Combating the Opioid Epidemic,

·       Long-term infrastructure/highway bill,

·       Increase RFS volume outputs,

·       Annual appropriations,

·       Prison sentencing reform,

·       Comprehensive jobs package,

·       Comprehensive mental health reform,

·       Higher Education reauthorization,

·       Campaign finance reform.

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