Where Did That Iceberg Come From?

Posted on November 8, 2025 by Dave Bradley

Iowa First District representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks was celebrating landing the endorsement of the current president Donald Trump Monday. I have to wonder how she felt Wednesday morning after the American electorate stated very loudly that Donald Trump is the most despised politician in America today.

It must have felt like being on the Titanic and viewing the beauty of the ice peeking out of the ocean just before you find out that there is a massive ice berg below that is going to sink the boat. The voting public showed their dislike for Trump in various off year elections Tuesday where Democratic candidates over performed. 

Miller-Meeks enthusiastically accepted Trump’s endorsements. Considering how disliked Trump is by the public, she may have wanted to temper that enthusiasm. Trump has really pissed the voting public off badly in only 9 months. Just think where his ratings will be in a year. Expect Miller-Meeks to be right there with him.

Currently Miller-Meeks refuses to hold town halls or in any other way speak to common Iowans. That was true even before Republicans House members went on an impromptu vacation paid for by your tax dollars. 

While congress has been on this impromptu vacation, Iowans have seen their insurance premiums skyrocket, they have seen at least a quarter of a million Iowans lose SNAP benefits and farmers have seen markets come to a precarious truce with China. However that truce may be dependent on Trump’s volatile mood on any given day.

I do not usually do this, but I want to rerun a video from Marcy Wheeler where she lists the crimes of Donald Trump. CRIMES!! As you watch Ms. Wheeler go through the long, long list of Trump transgressions remember that Miller-Meeks is OK with what Trump does. Miller-Meeks said she was “honored” to have Trump’s endorsement. Man, are her values ever out of whack – way out.

Wheeler video.  (16 minutes)

As Iowans lose their health care, while they see their own families and those of their friends and neighbors on the brink of starvation, Miller-Meeks grabs on to the perpetrator of these man made disasters as a hero. Few people expect anything to get better under Trump as he flirts with starting two wars and invades America’s own cities. 

Iowans in all four congressional districts will have Democrats who actually share their values to vote for in a year. Opposing Miller-Meeks and her extremist values will be one from this trio of candidates all of whom will actually fight for Iowans and not just make empty claims.

Perhaps the best known is Christina Bohannan, who lost an incredibly close race to Miller-Meeks in 2024. 

Also throwing his hat in the ring is Tyler Wettach who definitely has real Iowa values:

Finally we have Travis Terrel whose working class background pretty much assures that he will be a voice for the working class in Washington:

Any of these folks will work for real Iowans, in stark contrast to what Miller-Meeks has done in her tenure.

As James Carville used to say “When your opponent is drowning throw them an anvil.” Donald Trump threw Miller-Meeks an anvil. Miller-Meeks, being awfully confused about what is good for Iowans grabbed that anvil. Here is hoping it sinks her big time.

Today’s Republicans are simply cruel. Miller-Meeks is one of today’s Republicans. 

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Tuesday Was NoKings #3 – Building The Movement For The Coming Fights

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Trish Nelson

I hope you will watch the Indivisible weekly planning call and discussion. A few of many important topics covered:

  • What is the strategic arc of resistance over the next 12 months?
  • How we get democracy to reassert itself.
  • The direct line from public protest to electoral wins – research based.
  • Primary season v. general election season – the 2 different assignments for the opposition.
  • Protecting the 2026 elections – being ready for sabotage at the front and back.

“This is a regime that understands they have already spent their political capital and the only way to stay in power is by rigging the rules..

It’s not going to work because we are collectively going to be pushing back using all the tools in the toolbox at every step in the process to try and guarantee as close to a level playing field as possible.. and we’re going to build the popular mass mobilization muscle that is necessary on the back end to resist and repel any sabotage effort. That is the plan for next year.” – Leah Greenberg, Indivisible co-founder

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Iowans Visit Miller-Meeks’ Davenport Office

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Photo credit: CCI Action Fund

CCI Action Fund

Everyday Iowans to Rep. Miller-Meeks and Sen. Ernst – Fix Healthcare Premiums Now

Constituents visit Davenport office urging them to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits
[Davenport, IA] –

Nearly two dozen Iowans in Rep. Miller-Meeks’ district visited her Davenport office, joined by a representative from Sen. Ernst’s office, during the lunch hour on Wednesday, November 5. Constituents were there to share personal experiences resulting from the government shutdown, in particular the expected doubling of Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits due to expire if Congress fails to act.

“I was a kid before Medicare was available. My dad had been a machinist toolmaker who was forced to retire on disability and ended up needing major surgery. We had no health insurance, so my parents had to wipe out their savings to pay for the surgery. We lived in poverty until my mom could qualify for Social Security,” said Roland Caldwell, CCI Action member from Davenport. “If our elected officials don’t protect folks’ healthcare now, we’re putting people right back in those kinds of situations.”

Open enrollment for ACA marketplace plans began on November 1. Should Congress fail to extend the subsidies put in place through the Inflation Reduction Act, over 22 million Americans will see their health insurance premiums nearly double, or more. Approximately 24,000 Iowans in Rep. Miller-Meeks’ district get their healthcare through the ACA marketplace.

Attendees spoke with staff from Sen. Ernst and Rep. Miller-Meeks’ offices, as the Senator and Congresswoman weren’t available. “This isn’t about party,” said Susan Stoefen, CCI Action member from New Liberty. “This is about real people who are hurting. We need our
elected officials to work for us – their constituents – not for billionaires and corporate interests.”

Constituents also voiced frustration over HR1, otherwise known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which makes deep cuts to healthcare spending in order to finance the tax cuts that largely go to the wealthy. According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, this legislation will result in an estimated 113,979 Iowans who will lose Medicaid or ACA coverage and become uninsured.

November 5, 2025
Contact: Evan Burger, Fighting Oligarchy Project, evanburger@berniesanders.com
Katie Biechler, CCI Action Fund, kbiechler@iowacci.org

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It’s The Margins, Stupid

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Way to go, Democrats!

“A good day for democracy and a really bad day for Donald Trump.” – Simon Rosenberg

A good day in Iowa as well.  Here is a link to Laura Belin and Julie Gammack discussing Iowa results.

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Support Independent Media In Iowa

Posted on November 5, 2025 by Trish Nelson

As I write this, the polls are still open everywhere. I hope everyone was able to vote in your local elections.

I really enjoy the Cornhole Champions podcast and recommend it for great interviews and conversations about Iowa and national issues.  Hope you give them a listen.  They’ll be taking a short break but will be back in January.

“This is one of the last episodes of Cornhole Champions for 2025. We’re taking November and December off, coming back in January with fresh ideas. But before we wrap, it felt right to step back and talk about what this year has been — and what 2026 might bring. On Cornhole Champions, host Zachary Oren Smith sat down with Chase Seibert and Liz Fleming to talk about the future of the podcast and of the state it was created to serve. Toss some bags about Iowa’s economic woes… health insurance costs going up… and some reflection on a year of Cornhole Champions.” 

Cornhole Champions is a weekly politics and policy podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line, hosted by Zachary Oren Smith and produced by Rebecca Steinberg, with music by Avery Mossman and art by Desirée Tapia.

Listen and subscribe to Cornhole Champions:

… and everywhere you listen to podcasts FOLLOW ZACHARY OREN SMITH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

FOLLOW IOWA STARTING LINE ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

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Kim Reynolds’ Priorities

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Along the Mississippi

Gov. Reynolds should get little credit for throwing a nominal amount of cash at a problem created by her party. Ed Tibbetts wrote about it on his Substack yesterday. Excerpt below.

Follow Along The Mississippi on Substack.  “News, opinions and ideas from the Quad-Cities, where the river runs east to west.” 

edtibbetts.substack.com

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds would devote up to $1 million in state funds to food banks now that the Trump administration has stopped making payments from the food assistance program SNAP. The administration blamed the government shutdown for the lapse.

Reynolds’ PR department dutifully bragged about the governor’s largess in matching Iowans’ donations. But how generous is it, really?

That $1 million amounts to about $4 for every Iowan on SNAP. It covers less than a day of regular SNAP funding in Iowa.

The shame is that Reynolds could do so much more.

We spend $340 million per year on private school expenses.

The Republican flat tax scheme gives $1 million every year to just 15 millionaires.

Democrats in the state Senate encouraged the governor to tap into the $107 million in interest that has accumulated from Covid-related funds the federal government sent to the state years ago.

They also urged Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird to back lawsuits seeking to push the Trump administration to live up to the law and use the more than $5 billion in SNAP contingency funds available to help these families while the shutdown persists.

They didn’t do that. In fact, Reynolds called the lawsuits “ridiculous” and a “waste of time,” according to KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids.

After Reynolds made those comments, the plaintiffs actually won those lawsuits. Two federal judges, in separate cases Friday, ruled the administration was obligated to keep paying SNAP benefits.

Click here to read the entire article

 

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All Politics Is Local: Early Voting Still Available Today In Iowa

Posted on November 3, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Tomorrow is election day.  Here is a message from your Iowa Senate Democrats.

You can still vote early at your county auditor’s office or at an available satellite location.

iowa.gov/how-do-i-vote-early-person

 

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The Trump Crime Spree

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Dave Bradley

I came across this 15 minute partial summary of Trump crimes that have taken place in just his first 9 months in office. I don’t believe trying to starve Americans into submission by illegally halting the disbursement of SNAP contingency funds is among the crimes listed. Remember, that is a crime.

If you are not aware of Marcy Wheeler, you should learn of her. Wheeler has been around for a comparatively long time in the cyber world. She has been the owner of the political website emptywheel.net. She delves very deeply into the underbelly of American politics. When she speaks we listen.

Thursday she had a very interesting article on Iowa’s own Chuck Grassley stepping on a lot of extreme right toes as he tries to turn the blame for January 6th on to Democrats. Whoopsie!

The video above is hard to keep up with, but then she is trying to fit a mountain of criminality into a short video. I had to watch it twice and I am sure I missed some things.

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Sunday Funday: Trying Times Change Edition

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Dave Bradley

See how I worked a pun on the time change into a comment on our current political situation. Don’t forget to change your clock today so you and all of us can enjoy that extra hour of Trump. He is our greatest president ever, if you ignore all the others. 

Since Republicans are in charge, set your clocks back to 1897.

Here’s a little something about time to break your brain and use up that extra hour. (11.5 minutes)

Remember as we approach a black hole time slows to nothing. And speaking of black holes, I see Randy Feenstra is officially running for governor. I wonder how that will work when he can’t even do his present job, nor will he hold town halls. If he gets elected will he show up to work? Maybe he doesn’t have the time?

Well, I see it’s time for the quiz. Remember FIWH is Felon In the White House (or what is left of it).

A) Oh where to start – Yesterday the FIWH and Republicans cut off money for what program that 42 million Americans depend on for food?

B) The FIWH promised as much as $40 Billion to Argentina’s Javier Milei if his party won parliamentary elections last Sunday. Did Milei’s party win?

C) Who is Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and what did he do?

D) Playing the FIWH like a fiddle, what Asian leader agreed to buy some soybeans from the US?  

E) Let’s talk time. The reason we “fall back” in November is primarily due to the lobbying of what industry?

F) Oh man, did Ontario Premier Doug Ford ever light up the FIWH last week. What did Ford do?

G) What major population center in Jamaica got mostly spared as the massive hurricane Melissa tracked to the west when it hit the island?

H) As Republicans cut off money for food and jack up health insurance rates, what Democratically led state begins a program of state paid for child care?

I) What administration official used a government airplane to go on a date last week?

J) What two US states do not participate in the madness of twice-a-year time changes?

K) What stinks? say restaurant patrons when what cabinet officer comes in with his ever-present bag of sauerkraut?

L) The hearing for Surgeon General nominee Casey Means was postponed for what reason last week?

M) The economy is chugging – er -sputtering along. What huge company laid off 14,000 workers last week?

N) Not to be outdone what delivery service announced they will have jettisoned 48,000 in 2025?

O) When did the concept of time zones become a reality in the US? 

P) While the FIWH was in Asia last week what national leader that the FIWH is often linked with did not meet with the FIWH?

Q) Unusual Machines – a drone company based in Florida – saw its government business and its stock price soar after it did what?

R) They are sort of like toys, donchya know? The FIWH said he will resume testing (or actually demonstrating) what?

S) Another major shakeup in the US military ranks as Adm. Alvin Holsey resigns from his position as the head of what command?

T) Some may remember that from 1945 to 1966 the US had a patchwork system of daylight time known by what descriptive name?

Timothy Mellon, who donated $130 million  to help pay the $9 billion monthly cost to cover military salaries, is currently in litigation over his financial connections to the Epstein Sex Trafficking Ring. 

What did Timothy Mellon actually buy for $130,000,000? – The Maine Wonk

Answers:

A) SNAP 

B) Sadly yes – BTW that money could feed a lot of Americans who lost SNAp

C) The former (as of Friday) Prince Andrew of Britain. His brother, King Charles, stripped him of titles and privileges due to his past association with Jeffrey Epstein.

D) Xi Jing Ping of China

E) The candy industry whose sales go up if kids can trick or treat in some light

F) Ran an ad during the World Series in which Ronald Reagan discussed how bad tariffs are

G) Kingston

H) New Mexico

I) Kash Patel

J) Arizona and Hawaii

K) RFK, jr. – his diet is meat and sauerkraut or other fermented veggies

L) She went into labor

M) Amazon

N) UPS

O) November 18, 1883 at the behest of the railroads to whom standard times were essential

P) North Korea’s Kim Jung Un

Q) put Donald Trump, jr. on its board

R) Nuclear weapons. O gawd

S) The Southern Command that is currently bombing Venezuelan fishing boats

T) local option daylight savings. 

California and 20 other states are suing the Trump Administration for suspending next month’s SNAP benefits despite having funds ready for this kind of situation. 

This is cruelty. The federal government is abandoning the 5.5M Californians relying on this critical program. – Governor Gavin Newsom

E. Jean Carroll on Donald Trump: “I don’t understand how people can be afraid of a fat elderly man who wears apricot makeup, his hair done up like Tippi Hedren in The Birds”

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Make THEM Pay 

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Dave Bradley

Got this in email a couple of days ago. I thought I would try to help them gather some data. If you do not get Progress Iowa’s newsletter, they are requesting stories to help put a human face on Republican cruelty. Links are in the letter:

As Open Enrollment begins on November 1, millions of families are bracing for their health insurance premiums to rise, or even double, because Republicans refused to act.

Iowa’s representatives had no problem giving huge tax breaks to billionaires this year, but when it came time to extend ACA tax credits for everyday Iowans, Rep. Miller-Meeks shared that this was an “unreasonable demand.”

That’s why we’re reaching out and asking you or someone you know to share your stories. Our representatives have chosen billionaires over constituents and are banking on your silence. But we’re not going to let them get away with this.

If you’re experiencing changing costs of health plans sold through the Affordable Care Act, please share your story here.

Progress Iowa will then help your story be heard. We can connect you with reporters, share your experience on social media, or both. It’s up to you. *Nothing will be published without following up with you first, so please include your contact information.*

Whether you’re a parent, a small business owner, or someone just trying to stay healthy, you shouldn’t have to choose between your health and your budget — especially not because of Republican inaction and their ongoing shutdown.

Thanks for reading and for joining us to hold our lawmakers accountable.

– The Progress Iowa Team
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