Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann wants the Iowa legislature to pass a law to take away money from public Universities funding grief counseling for students who didn’t vote for Trump and are upset about the election.
“You can troll these people and definitely get some of them to kill themselves”.
With his “suck it up, buttercup” bill, Rep. Kaufmann gleefully taunts the very people targeted by the neo-Nazis (whose leader, Stephen Bannon, has been appointed to the top White House position by Trump). I guess Rep. Kaufmann doesn’t want the Universities interfering with the neo-Nazi plan to have Clinton supporters kill themselves.
The Trump resistance must be effective, efficient and organized. We have to do our best to influence our representatives, Republican or Democrat, in congress and in our state legislature. Here is one piece of a multi-pronged resistance effort that everyone can easily do that has the best chance of having impact.
#NoDAPL National Day of Action Includes Des Moines, Omaha, Iowa City
On Tuesday, November 15, tens of thousands of people will be joining together at over 200 actions in all 50 states to stand with Water Protectors at Standing Rock and farmers and landowners in Iowa who are holding the line against the Dakota Access pipeline.
WHAT: #NoDAPL Solidarity Rally WHERE: Neal Smith Federal Building, 210 Walnut St., Des Moines WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Afterwards, participants will carpool to join Native allies and Bold Nebraska at the Army Corps office in Omaha at 4:30 p.m. They will display banners, flags and signs with slogans such as:
Stand in Prayer. Stop the Pipeline.
Solidarity with Standing Rock and Iowa #NoDAPL
Pres. Obama: Stop the Dakota Access Pipeline
[BFIA Editor’s Note} There will also be an action in Iowa City.
What: Day of Action against the Dakota Access pipeline Where: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2850 Prairie Du Chien Rd NE, Iowa City When: 3:30 PM
If you are planning to attend the event in Iowa City, please RSVP now so local organizers know how many people to expect and can follow up with you with any final details you need to know.]
“The Army Corps fast-tracked the Dakota Access Pipeline without proper consultation, and now bulldozers are approaching Standing Rock and working quickly to finish up construction here in Iowa,” said Bold Iowa director, Ed Fallon. “With coordinated, massive demonstrations across the country, we’ll make it clear that we will not allow the Obama Administration or the incoming president to sacrifice Indigenous rights, our water or our climate.”
One of the day’s largest actions is expected in Washington, DC, where hundreds are expected to risk arrest. At 3:00, pipeline fighters will meet at the National Portrait Gallery and walk to the Army Corps Headquarters for a peaceful sit-in at 4:00. That will be followed by a rally, then a march to the White House at 5:00.
Having inoculated myself early on to the possibility of Donald Trump winning Iowa’s six electoral votes, my reaction to his Nov. 8 victory in a close national election was more recoil than shock.
“Expect Iowa to award its six electoral votes to Donald Trump this cycle, contrary to the claims of prominent Iowa Democrats,” I wrote on Sept. 16.
I believed Hillary Clinton would win nationally based on conventional sources — polls, media analysis, progressive friends and family. Trump didn’t just win Iowa. He beat Clinton statewide by almost 10 points, attracting voters repulsed by his personal character but not wanting another Clinton in the White House. Trump won the voters that make Iowa a swing state.
My surprise in the result came from a failure to listen to my own experience.
“Low wage workers are everywhere in Iowa in significant numbers,” I wrote Sept. 15. “Based on my conversations with them, if they vote at all, they are just as likely to vote for Donald Trump as Hillary Clinton, whose name the corporate media associates with all things bad.”
As we now know, a majority of the people I described weren’t at all likely to vote for Hillary Clinton. I didn’t want to believe Trump could win and that distorted my perception.
The messaging from Republicans was direct, simple and effective.
“The American people have had enough of failed status quo policies which have left them less hopeful for our country’s future,” said Jeff Kaufmann, Republican Party of Iowa chair in an Aug. 10 press release. “They have had enough of serially dishonest, corrupt, and self-interested career politicians like the Clintons.”
Their candidate hammered this message home over and over in an effective social media campaign which, when combined with a national GOTV effort that worked with local parties, enabled Republicans to distract many Democrats while they networked with people early on.
What we thought we knew about politics proved to be outdated as conventional political wisdom was incinerated this cycle. If Democrats held a ground game advantage in 2006 and 2008, Iowa Republicans reached parity this cycle. Ground game is no longer a political advantage, it is a necessary tool. Ground game must be well executed for Democrats to maintain parity with Republicans.
Having competed with Jeff Kaufmann’s political organization on his home turf of Wilton and Cedar County in 2012, I believe the success of Republicans statewide is due mainly to his 2014 appointment as their party chair and broader application of tactics he has long used on the ground. Like with any competition, each game, each election is a result of training and performance. The level of expected ground game performance has been raised this cycle.
Experience tells me election day didn’t bring the end of politics as we know it. The body politic is ever changing, ever re-inventing itself, sometimes by design, sometimes by unintended consequences. Those of us who believe the framework of society is enduring also see an opportunity in the election results for positive change. After voting for Richard Nixon in 1960, Iowa elected Democrat Harold Hughes as governor.
After recoiling from the repugnant national election results my response is simple: confront bigotry, work to build positive community relations where I live, and resist the rollback of everything I’ve worked for.
These things can only be accomplished by joining together with others in common purpose. Or as Hillary Clinton said, we are stronger together.
If there is one silver lining in Iowa it is that Dave Loebsack survived the the tsunami. Dave has been a real voice of reason throughout his congressional stint.
Loebsack’s leadership and reason will be extremely important as the next presidency unfolds.
Here is a message from Matt Sinovic, Director of Progress Iowa:
Elections aren’t the end. They are just the beginning.
Yesterday President Obama told the country that “no matter what happens, the sun will rise in the morning.” Our state, and our country, will begin again.
The President was right. Last night’s election was disappointing for so many of us, but this morning we have the opportunity to begin again, and today we know that the work of Progress Iowa is more important than ever.
While the election has ended, Progress Iowa is just getting started. We will be here to stand up to Donald Trump’s divisive agenda, and to fight the drastic changes coming from Terry Branstad and the Iowa legislature. We will be ready. But we can’t do it without you.
If watching the election results made you want to do something, but you’re not sure just what, you can start with us.
Thanks to all we’ve done together, Progress Iowa is a permanent voice for change in our state. We will continue to hold elected officials accountable and advocate for working families, strong public schools, and equality for all. We know that our community works best when it works for all of our friends and neighbors, not just those at the top. And we will be here, every day, fighting for what we believe in.
Will you join us?
Remember, elections aren’t they end. They are just the beginning. So let’s begin.
Thanks for all you have done and will do,
Matt Sinovic
Progress Iowa
The quiz master is is not in much of a festive mood. It took nearly 48 hours to start functioning again. One thing is for sure: I apologize for any extra publicity I may have given a certain party and will attempt as best is possible to avoid use of the name in the future. For one thing my stomach gets tied in a knot at even hearing the name.
Stay strong folks and hopefully we come out alive and ready to do battle in two years and four years also.
Here goes:
1) The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month what was signed?
2) Despite a now cloudy future, what insurance program had its best enrollment day ever Wednesday?
3) The most violent storms in decades hit what southern hemisphere capital killing six and injuring scores more?
4) Kamala Harris of California became the second black woman ever to be elected to the senate. Who was the first?
5) In Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto became the first what elected to the senate?
6) What percentage of eligible voters did not vote in Tuesday’s election?
7) Who will most likely replace Harry Reid as minority leader of the senate?
8) How many states legalized the use of recreational marijuana Tuesday?
9) How many states legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes Tuesday?
10) Nov.11, 1992 the Church of England allowed women to do what?
11) On Nov. 13, 1942 the five Sullivan brothers die in combat when their ship sinks. What is their hometown?
12) What once stable state suffered a 5.0 earthquake near a major oil storage facility?
13) Daniel Ortega was reelected to a third term in what central American country?
14) Voters in what NFL city rejected a referendum to fund a new stadium?
15) The value of what country’s currency dropped to a new low in response to our election?
16) What first female US Attorney General died this week in Florida?
17) Protests against Tuesday’s election broke out in cities across the US including what city in Iowa?
18) Nov. 18, 1993 what ended in South Africa?
19) Among names floated to run the DNC what former chair has been mentioned?
20) The largest online shopping day in the world happened Friday. What was it?
That’s all I got folks.
1) the armistice to end WWI
2) Obamacare or the ACA
3) Johannesburg, South Africa.
4) Carol Mosely Braun of Illinois
5) Latina
6) 46.9%
7) Chuck Schumer of New York
8) 4 – Cal, Mass, Nev, Maine
9) 4 – Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and North Dakota
10) become priests
11) Waterloo, Iowa
12) Oklahoma (Cushing, Ok)
13) Nicaragua
14) San Diego
15) Mexico
16) Janet Reno
17) Des Moines
18) white rule
19) Howard Dean
20) Singles Day. Mostly in China, Alibaba promoted it as an anti-valentines day for singles. Sales will top $20B much larger than black Friday and cyber Monday put together.
What happened Tuesday is much worse by far than what Brexit in the UK. That was a referendum on one issue. Tuesday’s election will bring about massive changes in most every aspect of our lives.
Unlike they Democratic Party, the Republican Party maintains control over their members. Those who march to a different drummer will be primaried by a someone who will take orders and money will pour into their race.
Now the Republicans will soon have control of all three branches of government. The Supreme Court will soon be 5-4 right wing heading for a potential 6-3 or 7-2 (probably leaving us Sotomoyer and Kagan) that will stand for decades. So we will have a congress that will pass some of the most repugnant social legislation ever while reversing any progressive programs that have passed since FDR.
Whatever the Republican congress will pass expect their president to sign. The court system will be pretty much a rubber stamp for whatever the congress enacts. The three independent branches will be aligned. The glue that will keep them all together will be the money from the rich who will expect a high return on their investments.
So in Britain they will what now seems to be a tough economic change, but the fundamentals will remain the same. Here, the very foundations of our way of life will be messed with if not change wholly. The only firewall we will have will be the US senate and the filibuster rule that so often seems archaic. Now it may be our only hope. Remember that the majority can change that rule. If McConnell opts to change it we may be royally screwed.
Almost as expected, a rash of hate has broken out across the country as hate based on race, gender, religion or sexual orientation has been given a green light by this election. Here are a few examples from an article in the Independent: l
“There have also been numerous reports of black people being verbally and physically abused by people expressing support for the President-elect.
A woman in Delaware described overhearing four white men near her at a petrol station discussing Mr Trump’s victory and “how they’re glad they won’t have to deal with n*****s much longer”.
“One walked over to me and said ‘how scared are you, you black b****? I should just kill you right now, you’re a waste of air’,” she wrote.
“Then another guy steps forward and shows me his firearm. He says: ‘You’re lucky there’s witnesses or else I’d shoot you right here.’ I have called the police.”
We are entering a very scary period in this country. There is terrorism afoot in this country and the election Tuesday has given impetus to those who will terrorize fellow citizens based on their differences. This is against all that this country stands for.
Now more than ever we must stand up for each other.
Those who voted for this change will get change that will increasingly hurt them. They will be told to blame the “others” for their plight. They will then take their frustrations out on the “others.”
As Ben Franklin said in another time of drastic change “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”
Remember the old motto of the US is till the ideal we strive to achieve “E Pluribus Unum (“from many one”). Remember also the phrasing in the Declaration of Independence “All men are created equal.” We must continue to strive to achieve these ideals.
Well I feel like someone has simply come up and kicked me in the stomach. Like so many right now my feelings are a mix of depression, fear and flat out confusion.
For the life of me I can not understand why working class people would vote for a billionaire to save them from the problems they have, but that seems to be what happened. Much like the chickens going to Colonel Sanders for help.
This devastating election was not something that happened overnight. The pieces have been put together little bit by little bit over decades. Not that there was a master building plan, but there was a master goal. That goal has been as clear as a sunny day – destroy ant bit of legislation or regulation that gives power to people who are not the wealthy ruling class.
Through whatever the media of the day is the rulers are able to manipulate the working class into fighting against their own self interest by pitting them against some perceived enemy. It may be a real enemy, but most often it is a scapegoat created by the rulers to lead the working class into believing that the scapegoat is responsible for their plight and the rulers are their allies in defeating the hated scapegoat. This round they were many scapegoats including Mexicans, blacks, women, terrorists and others.
Creating fear and animosity among these groups creates alliances with the rulers to vanquish the evil. The rulers can then reshape society to their liking while telling the working class that only they (the rulers) can be trusted and their opposition are fighting to keep them down.
This has been a technique used by rulers with varying degrees of success over the millennia. Our country guaranteed the right of a free press as the first guarantee in the bill of rights so that those in the ruling class would have open opposition. While they guaranteed that the government would not interfere in the workings of the press, there was no way to guarantee that the press itself wouldn’t somehow become a form of a monopolistic grouping.
Thus we have had a press that has become a few major voices singing one song. That song has been in praise of business and in condemnation of the government that you and I have some voice in. Our education system has been dumbed down in such a way that few of us have real critical thinking skills anymore. So as we accept our meager pay we accept as gospel what we hear from a media that appears competitive but in reality is owned by a few companies with very similar goals.
So once again workers have been fooled into giving the ruling class permission to take away programs and protections that have taken decades to set up.
We can expect assaults on any form of government backed health care, including the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid. Expect attacks on any and all social safety net programs such as Social Security, supplemental food programs and worker’s compensation programs. Also expect an all out assault on business regulations, especially those that help consumers such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The list of programs that a Trump Administration will undo stretches back 80 years. Will our currently compliant media which acts more as a stenographer to the Republican Party even bother to report it? Most likely their reports will be such that they will simply report administration statements without comment.
Republicans turned full force on attacking the Obama administration blaming them for every ill in the country while they themselves caused most of the problem through their obstruction. Republicans exacerbated every divide in this country while blaming democrats for it. When Democrats created programs that were good for the working people Republicans trashed them all over the media. The media played a major role in all this by giving the airwaves over to Republicans with little time for rebuttal from Democrats.
The conquering of the media did not happen overnight. There was a long steady takeover beginning from the days of the infamous Lewis Powell Memo through Ronald Reagan ending the Fairness Doctrine through the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
In a similar vein, Republicans established so-called think tanks where policies were formulated. Conservatives paid people to develop policy statements and refine them for best acceptance. They employed people to study the effects of words and messages. One of their greatest successes in this area is the major cutbacks in inheritance taxes that they dubbed “death taxes.”
What happened Tuesday has its roots back in the attempted coup against Franklin Roosevelt some 83 years ago. One could almost call Donald Trump the anti-Roosevelt, the culmination of some four score and three years of effort.
Today is a dark time for America. It is also a very dark time for Iowa. The overwhelming numbers in the legislature coupled with a governor who acts as a king means that Iowa will be in for some rough times ahead. I believe we can expect education to be one of the major victims as the Republican philosophy of starve the beast comes full cycle to Iowa. Expect major cuts to public schools as Republicans push for publicly funded charter schools.
There have been dark times before. Giving up now would be letting them win.
During the campaign, coverage of the issues was blotted out by coverage of Hillary Clinton’s emails and Donald Trump’s broad suite of sociopathic tendencies. And of the issues that did receive any attention, a conspicuously missing one was Paul Ryan’s plan to push Medicare beneficiaries into private health insurance. Reporters just assumed that, since Trump never talked about it, it won’t happen. But Paul Ryan still wants it to happen. And in a Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Ryan said Medicare privatization is on.
“Your solution has always been to put things together, including entitlement reform,” says Baier, using Republican code for privatizing Medicare. Ryan replies, “If you’re going to repeal and replace Obamacare, you have to address those issues as well. … Medicare has got some serious issues because of Obamacare. So those things are part of our plan to replace Obamacare.”
Ryan tells Baier, “Because of Obamacare, Medicare is going broke.” This is false. In fact, it’s the complete opposite of the truth. The Medicare trust fund has been extended 11 years as a result of the passage of Obamacare, whose cost reforms have helped bring health care inflation to historic lows. It is also untrue that repealing Obamacare requires changing traditional Medicare. But Ryan clearly believes he needs to make this claim in order to sell his plan, or probably even to convince fellow Republicans to support it.
Get ready for the fight FOR your lives folks. This will kill us.
Governor Kim Keynolds: (515) 281-5211 U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Iowa Members of Congress - Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) - Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) - Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) - Rep. Zach Nunn (R) Iowa US Senators - Senator Joni Ernst (R) - Senator Charles Grassley (R)
Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann wants the Iowa legislature to pass a law to take away money from public Universities funding grief counseling for students who didn’t vote for Trump and are upset about the election.
