The Republican Way

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Trish Nelson

donald kaulKaul weighs in on the 2016 campaign.  Read the original article at  otherwords.org/

The Road to Ruin

The race for the White House delivers either Republican presidents who favor the rich or Democrats who also favor the rich, but not as much.

By Donald Kaul

That harsh whine you hear in the background — like a buzzsaw getting ready for a log to come down the chute — is the vast right-wing conspiracy revving its engines.

America Rising, an opposition research Super PAC that lives to trash the Clintons, dashed off a press release challenging the notion that Hillary was going to “drive to Iowa” to start her campaign as she said she would. Hillary doesn’t drive, it said. Someone would have to drive her.

Not exactly the Teapot Dome on the scandal meter. But it’s a start.

Observers say that the main thrust of the Republican strategy will be an effort to make her into a Democratic Mitt Romney — rich, privileged, and clueless as to how real people live.

“How can she relate to the cost of gas?” asked Republican strategist Kevin Madden. “How can she relate to rising food prices when she doesn’t shop herself?”

And Rand Paul, a libertarian Republican hopeful, is about to run a series of ads accusing Clinton of “representing the worst of the Washington machine” that’s “destroying the American dream.”

In contrast, the former Hillary Rodham seems to be in a Mr. Rogers mood. She’s wandering around Iowa, meeting people, and saying, “It’s a lovely day in the neighborhood. Will you be my friend?”

Her announcement, by way of a video, was so low-key as to be boring. She made the obligatory genuflection to hard-working American families who are “struggling to get ahead.” She promised to be their champion. Ho hum.

Expect all of this to change in the coming months. The Republicans say they’re not going to get personal, but they won’t be able to help themselves. That conspiracy won’t let them.

You’re about to be inundated by a veritable tsunami of campaign garbage coming from the dozens of right-wing organizations that have been collecting ammunition for just such an assault. Whitewater, Troopergate, Vince Foster (If you don’t remember that White House aide, look up the name. Hillary Clinton was supposed to have killed him), sex in the White House, sex out of the White House, Travelgate, Benghazi, email-gate, her jet-setting ways.

All of this baggage and paranoia will come flooding back in its rancid glory. Lies will be mixed with truth, truth with exaggeration. There will be a lot of outright fantasy.

My own personal favorite anti-Clinton story is Bill’s former lover who claimed that the Clintons had killed her cat.

It’s the Republican way. Before, during, and after an election they attempt to delegitimize the opposition. Carter, Dukakis, Kerry, Clinton, and Obama all got the same treatment. It’s the only arrow in the Republican quiver.

At some point, however, Hillary will have to come out of her shell and go on the counter-attack. And I think she can do that. For one thing, she’s got a shot at amassing a reported $2.5-billion war chest.

So what if she’s rich? Pretty much all presidential candidates are rich. So what if she’s out of touch? Do you think Jeb Bush shops for his own dinner or washes the dishes every night? And if he did, how much better would he be able to deal with Iran?

The thing that this campaign will demonstrate yet again is that the way we choose U.S. presidents is broken.

We require our candidates to go around with a tin cup begging for money, promising this to that group and that to this other one. And then we expect them to be honest and principled once in office.

That’s unrealistic. If you’re lucky, you get a semi-honest, semi-principled person who campaigns for high-minded goals, without conviction.

Although I will never understand how the Republicans figure that getting rid of health insurance for millions of people qualifies as high-minded.

The ultimate result is either Republican presidents who favor the rich or Democrats who also favor the rich, but not as much.

I just don’t think that’s what the framers of the Constitution had in mind. At least I hope not.

OtherWords columnist Donald Kaul lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. OtherWords.org

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Republican hypocrisy | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Republican Way

School Funding, Budget, Medical Marijuana – The Courtney Report

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Dave Bradley

Courtney Report

ed. note: this is an editted version of Senator Courtney’s newsletter. For the full newsletter, please go here

BUDGET PRIORITIES WILL EXPAND IOWA’S MIDDLE CLASS
This week, the Iowa Senate released a budget proposal that will expand Iowa’s middle class while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Our overall budget is equal to that proposed by Governor Branstad, saves taxpayer dollars and breaks this session’s on-going logjam on school funding.

Our plan calls for a compromise 2.625 percent increase in state support for Iowa’s local schools. It also calls for a tuition freeze at our state universities for the third consecutive year and for fully funding property tax credits and a commercial property tax cut that is especially helpful to our small businesses.

Under Iowa law, the Legislature never spends more than 99 percent of what it takes in. In fact, this year’s Senate proposal is $149.1 million below that 99 percent mark. We use a cautious approach to determining how much to spend by looking at the recent revenue estimates of a nonpartisan panel of experts, then budget according to the more conservative estimate.

Each year, at least 1 percent of the state budget goes into savings accounts, which include a cash reserve fund and an economic emergency fund. This is the money that gets us by in hard times, such as an economic recession or a natural disaster.

With the budget proposal that Senate Democrats released for Fiscal Year 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016), we expect to have a surplus of about $225 million when the fiscal year ends. In addition, our reserve funds will be full with $717 million, the largest amount in state history.

Our budget proposal is sustainable, spends less than the state takes in, and invests in expanding Iowa’s middle class by helping workers gain new skills, improving our schools and growing local businesses.

Read more at www.senate.iowa.gov/democrats/?p=20252.

SCHOOL FUNDING FITS INTO STATE BUDGET PLANS
Senate Democrats continue to get public support for our compromise proposal to increase basic school funding next school year by 2.625 percent. That’s exactly halfway between the original Senate and House proposals.

Unfortunately, legislative Republicans refuse to budge, despite widespread reports that their proposal for a meager 1.25 percent increase in school funding would result in more crowded classrooms, fewer course offerings and extracurricular activities, and higher property taxes.

The refusal of House Republicans to consider a compromise puts school districts in the impossible position of setting budget priorities before their April 15 deadline without knowing how much money they have to work with. In some school districts, layoff notices already are being sent to teachers and other school employees. One school in central Iowa plans to send out layoff notices to 100 percent of its employees because it doesn’t know what its budget will be for the 2015-16 school year.

Senate Democrats released our overall state budget plan this week. Our plan proves that it is possible to invest in students and schools while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Our budget plan is identical in total general fund spending to Governor Branstad’s budget, and includes our compromise offer to increase school funding by 2.625 percent.

We are constantly raising expectations for students and educators. We must provide them the opportunities to meet those expectations through strong local schools focused on 21stCentury learning. Please continue to make your voice heard on school funding that will prepare our students for the jobs, training and higher education to grow Iowa’s future.

SAFE, SECURE MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR SUFFERING IOWANS
Iowa took a first step last year to help those with epilepsy legally use cannabis oil, which has been shown to dramatically reduce seizures and other complications.

A legislative committee studied our new law last fall and came to the conclusion that it is ineffective because families cannot get the medicine locally, requiring them to break laws or face financial, travel and other hardships to access it elsewhere.

This week, the Senate voted to address those deficiencies by passing SF 484. The legislation establishes a comprehensive, safe and secure medical cannabis program for Iowans seeking relief from debilitating medical conditions. Eleven medical conditions are eligible for the program, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. A medical advisory board is established to recommend the future addition of other medical conditions and to provide oversight of the program.

To address one of the primary failures of last year’s law, four Iowa-based manufacturers will be licensed to produce medical cannabis and 12 dispensaries will be licensed across the state to provide local access. All facilities will be subject to inspection and strict security requirements. The Iowa Department of Public Health will determine the appropriate form and quantity of medical cannabis available to patients, but smoking of medical cannabis will be prohibited.

Establishing a more effective Iowa program is a responsible, compassionate alternative to help suffering Iowans, who currently must use legal but ineffective or dangerous medicines, break the law by obtaining medical cannabis illegally, or leave their homes, families and jobs to move to a different state. According to a recent Des Moines Register poll, Iowans strongly believe that their friends and neighbors with debilitating conditions deserve the same access to medicines already legally available to more than half of all Americans.

In response to the federal government’s failure to act, 23 states, including Minnesota and Illinois, have created regulated systems to provide their citizens with access to medical cannabis. Iowa can draw from the best of these state-level programs. It’s time that suffering Iowans also have access to medical cannabis in a safe and secure manner.

Posted in Budget, Courtney, Courtney Report, Iowa Legislature, Iowa legislature 2015 | Tagged | Comments Off on School Funding, Budget, Medical Marijuana – The Courtney Report

Climate Change It Is Happening, Folks

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Dave Bradley

global temps chart 1880 - present

Warmest 12 Month Period Were The Last 12 Months.
In case you missed it, climate change has not gone away. Here in Iowa we have been spared much of the anguish of the effects of climate change, except for the drenching rains followed by long dry spells. However, reality is setting in elsewhere. Scientists tracking the climate tell us the past rolling 12 month period have been the hottest 12 months on record. It looks like as each month passes the record just keeps going.

This story comes with a couple of scary paragraphs of what may be in the offing:

Besides El Niño, a more worrying, longer-term trend is also taking shape. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is a decades-long periodic warming of the Pacific Ocean that tends to favor bursts of accelerated global warming. As I wrote last October, the Pacific appears to be in the midst of a shift into a new warm phase that could last 20 years or so.

The PDO—or, “the blob” as it’s been referred to recently—is starting to freak out some scientists. There are emerging signs of a major shift in the Pacific Ocean’s food chain, including a dearth of plankton, tropical fish sightings near Alaska, and thousands of starving sea lion pups stranded on the California coast. As Earth’s largest ocean, what happens in the Pacific affects the weather virtually planet-wide, and that means an “imminent” jump in global warming may have already begun—spurred on by the PDO.

The PDO has skyrocketed to record-high monthly levels over the past four months. In fact, there have only been four other similarly warm four-month bursts of the PDO in the last 115 years (in 1940, 1941, 1993, and 1997). A quick look at the historical record (for both 15 years prior to and 15 years after the bursts) shows that global temperatures rose at twice the rate of the 20th century average immediately after these bursts.

From wunderground Friday –

CEOs Urging Action in 2015 on Global Climate

In an open letter released on Thursday evening, 43 chief executive officers from leading global companies called on governments around the world to take bold action at the pivotal UN climate meeting set for later this year. The CEOs are listed in a full-page ad appearing in Friday’s issue of Financial Times (see image below), in conjunction with the spring meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund. The signatories to the letter include David Kenny, chairman and CEO of The Weather Company, the umbrella organization that includes Weather Underground. “Climate change is one of the biggest global challenges that will shape the way we do business now and in the coming decades,” the CEOs stated. “We extend an open offer to national governments to meet and co-design tangible actions as well as ambitious, effective targets that are appropriate for their different jurisdictions.”

Looking toward a post-Kyoto climate deal
Representatives from around the world will meet in Paris this December for the 21st UN Conference of Parties (COP21), a product of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change that was signed by U.S. President George Bush and the heads of 164 other nations. Delegates in Paris will be working toward a new global agreement on carbon emissions to succeed the Kyoto Protocol, whose initial phase expired in 2012. The CEOs’ open letter outlines their shared vision for a successful climate deal at COP21, as well as their companies’ commitments to reduce their environmental and carbon footprints, serve as climate action ambassadors, manage climate risks, and help strengthen societal resilience to climate change.

“Hastening the shift to a low-carbon economy in an economically sustainable manner will generate growth and jobs in both the developing and developed world. Delaying action is not an option–it will be costly and will damage growth prospects in the years to come,” states the open letter. “The CEO Climate Leaders call on government leaders and policy makers to align on global measures, to be consistent in policy-making and to develop helpful innovation frameworks. A comprehensive, inclusive and ambitious climate deal in Paris on mitigation, adaptation and finance–in combination with a strong set of clear policy signals from the world’s leaders–is key to accelerating this transition. This opportunity should not be missed.”

Posted in Climate Change | Tagged , | Comments Off on Climate Change It Is Happening, Folks

Sunday Funday – It Is Cut Your Grass Week

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Dave Bradley

earth day coming soon

I have been cutting grass since I was 8 years old. I hate it – just hate it with a passion. It seems like so much make work to me. Grass’s main function is as a ground cover and an allergen. As a ground cover mine doesn’t do it’s job. As an allergen it is doing a wonderful job.

Despite how much I hate cutting grass, I am driven to do it because my father drilled it into me so well. Not sure if anything else he taught me took, but cutting the grass sure did. If it starts looking shaggy at all, I start to get nervous until I can get out and cut it. OY VEY, I am a basket case.

Were you paying attention last week?

1) What two people announced that they would be running for president last week?

2) Hugh Rodham’s grave stone was toppled in Scranton, Pa. last Monday. Why?

3) 20 years ago one of the worst terrorist attacks to take place on American soil happened. Where did this attack take place?

4) Do you remember the name of the perpetrators of the above mentioned attack?

5) Take me out to the ball game, but don’t forget to take me home! Which 2 teams played a 19 inning, 7 hour marathon last week?

6) April 20th, 1914 is the day of the massacre at the Ludlow, Colorado mine where strikers and women and children were shot. Who owned this mine?

7) Bad news for Iowa’a turkey industry last week. What was found in Buena Vista county last week?

8) The bible was nearly named the official state book in what state?

9) April 20th, 1999. The nation is shocked at what event in Colorado?

10) What 2 Republican presidential candidates came out for raising the age to get Social Security?

11) According to George W. Bush his brother will have one major problem getting elected. What is it?

12) Jack and Peter Decoster were sentenced to how much time in prison for selling tainted eggs that made over 2,000 people sick?

13) A coffee shop in Le Claire, Iowa was the site of what event this week that got national attention?

14) The Pope had a little set-to with what country when he marked the 100th anniversary of the genocide of what people?

15) A deputy in Tulsa has been charged with what in the death of an unarmed black man he shot during an arrest?

16) April 15th saw a major action by workers in fast food and other industries in at least how many US cities?

17) The CEO of a Seattle based credit card processing firm made headlines when he announced what that he will do to employees salary?

18) Singer Percy Sledge died this week. What was his most famous song?

19) A postal worker landed on the lawn of the Capitol this week in what kind of a vehicle?

20) Tomorrow is the Boston Marathon. This will be the what running of this event? (number of this marathon)

Be sure to acknowledge Earth Day Wednesday. It is the only planet we got and neither God or anyone else can change that. Let’s take care of our home.

Answers:

1) Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio

2) It was the day after his daughter announced she would run for president

3) Oklahoma City – The Murrah building was bombed

4) Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols

5) Red Sox and Yankees – do you care who won?

6) John D. Rockefeller

7) A turkey farm that had bird flu

8) Tennessee – the AG warned such an action would be declared unconstitutional

9) the shootings at Littleton high school

10) Chris Christie and Jeb Bush. Christie favors moving it to 69.

11) having George W. Bush as a brother.

12) 3 months

13) Hillary Clinton’s first campaign stop in Iowa

14) Turkey

15) manslaughter

16) 230

17) raise all employees to at least $70,000/ year

18) “When A Man Loves A Woman”

19) a gyrocopter

20) 119th

remember Earth Day!

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Sunday Funday – It Is Cut Your Grass Week

Name One Thing The Republican Party Has Done FOR Americans

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Dave Bradley

Ran across the above video last week and it made me think of Thom Hartmann’s challenge to his audience to name one thing, just one thing that the Republican Party has done FOR the good of the American people in the past 50 years. Jobs created by the massive public works program known as the Eisenhower Interstate Highway system was about the last time the Republicans cared one whit about the average American. I have asked several people and all I get is a blank stare.

As can be seen in the above video, folks are finally figuring it out. For many it took not watching a loved one die or go flat bankrupt because our health care system had been reformed. Previously the man above would have probably been priced out of health care in the system that Republicans fought to maintain for a century tooth and nail.

But to be fair there are many things we can thank Republicans for:

Thank a Republican if your pay has stagnated or gone down over the past 15 years – no it is not Obama’s fault – try obstructionist Republicans in Congress that employed radical strategies to stop any help for workers.

Thank a Republican if your job went overseas.

Thank a Republican if your schools are cutting back on teachers and programs.

Thank a Republican for wars that never end.

Thank a Republican if you live everyday in fear of terrorists that are 10,000 miles away.

Thank a Republican if you can’t join a union to bargain collectively.

Thank a Republican if you are a woman and reproductive medical services in your state are very limited.

Thank a Republican if you can’t afford to send your children to post secondary education.

Thank a Republican if you will have to go very deeply into debt to get a post secondary education.

Thank a Republican if you fear living in a society that is armed to the teeth and you fear you may get shot for no reason by someone who didn’t like the way you look.

Thank a Republican if you are a woman and you can look forward to being paid 25% less for the same work as a man.

Thank a Republican if the infrastructure in you city is rapidly deteriorating and the city has no money to fix it.

Thank a Republican if you are 50 or below and fear never seeing Social Security or Medicare.

Thank a Republican if you are over 50 and fear losing Social Security or Medicare

Thank a Republican if you are a member of a minority and feel like a second class citizen.

Thank a Republican if the corruption of vast amounts of money in politics disgusts you.

This list go on and on. You can no doubt make your own.

Some are willing to fight for us:

Posted in Bernie Sanders, Corporate Greed, Economy, Education, Republican hypocrisy, Republican Obstruction, Republicn Policy | 1 Comment

Elizabeth Warren On TPP

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Dave Bradley

tpp
A vote on the Trans Pacific Partnership may be coming soon and be rushed through quickly. Republicans will be pushing hard to get it passed, quietly. They will want it to pass with little fanfare because it will be toxic, especially for the average American.

Why? Let’s let Elizabeth Warren explain it:

Posted in Elizabeth Warren, Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) | Comments Off on Elizabeth Warren On TPP

Vilsack – Grassley Tussle For Senate?

Posted on April 18, 2015 by Dave Bradley
US Secretary Of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

US Secretary Of Agriculture Tom Vilsack

Speculation may have been spurred last night on Iowa Press when former governor and current US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said he would not rule out putting his name on a ballot again.

From the radioiowa news story:

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack says he wants to come back to Iowa and he isn’t ruling out another run for political office. Vilsack has served in President Obama’s cabinet since January of 2009, as the nation’s ag secretary.

“I have been really blessed and privileged by this state and the one thing I definitely want to do, regardless of the future, is I want to come back here and I want to contribute in some way,” Vilsack says. “I don’t want to go some place else. I want to come back home because this is where the people of Iowa gave me all these extraordinary opportunities and I will be forever indebted to them.”

Vilsack, who grew up in Pennsylvania, met Christie Bell of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in college and adopted her hometown as his own after the couple married. Vilsack was elected mayor of Mount Pleasant and won a seat in the state senate before being elected governor in 1998. Vilsack won reelection in 2002, but did not seek a third term, saying eight years was enough. He’s not ruling out the idea of putting his name on an Iowa ballot again, though.

The first thought would be that Vilsack would most likely be interested in a state wide office. The major state wide office that would be up in the next election would be US senator. That seat is of course occupied by Chuck Grassley. In 2016 at the time of the next election, Grassley will be completing his 36th year as a senator and his 58th year in a legislative position. Over the years Grassley has embarrassed Iowans over and over, but somehow he keeps getting re-elected. Defeating Grassley will be a monumental task even at the then age of 83.

Here is an ad from his last run to remind us what an embarrassment Grassley can be:

Vilsack will have the name recognition that many of Grassley’s opponents have not had. He also will be running in a presidential year which historically has helped the Democratic turnout. As things are shaping up now, a national ticket with Hillary clinton at the top may add a spur to that turnout.

Just speculation folks. Removing Grassley from the senate should be a top priority for Iowans.

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Charles Grassley, Hillary Clinton, Roxanne Conlin | Tagged | Comments Off on Vilsack – Grassley Tussle For Senate?

Earth Day Is Coming April 22nd! Iowa Events

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Trish Nelson

earth day april 22

Ed Fallon Invites All Iowans to Join Him At Grassroots Speak Out

Former State Rep. Ed Fallon will complete his 400-mile anti-pipeline walk across 18 counties on Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, and he invites all Iowans opposed to the Bakken oil pipeline to join him at the State Capitol at 5:00 p.m. for a special Earth Day Rally to Stop the Pipeline.

Who: Everyday Iowans
What: Earth Day Rally to Stop the Pipeline
Where: People’s Park at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, west Capitol lawn, East 7th and Locust St.
When: Wednesday, April 22, 5:00 p.m.
Why: To stop the Bakken oil pipeline and save the planet

From the newsletter of Senator Rob Hogg:

Monday, April 20 – This is the deadline to apply if you would like to attend the Climate Reality training in Cedar Rapids May 5 to 7 with former Vice President Al Gore (see below). This is a unique opportunity for Iowans to learn more about climate change and get more involved in the effort to achieve a sustainable future. For details, or to apply, visit www.climaterealitytraining.org/iowa/.

Wednesday, April 22, 7:00 p.m. – Mt. Mercy University will host David Thoreson, an Arctic sailor and explorer who lives in Iowa, as the Earth Day Speaker at the Betty Cherry Heritage Hall. Although I will not be able to attend due to legislative commitments in Des Moines, I have seen David speak and highly recommend this event.

Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – EcoFest returns to New Bohemia [Cedar Rapids] with an eco-fair, live music, an owl and a hawk from the Raptor Center, tours of Mt. Trashmore, and many other activities. For more details, visit http://www.ecofestcr.org/.

Tuesday, May 5 to Thursday, May 7 – As indicated above, Vice President Gore will bring his Climate Reality training to Cedar Rapids. This training is one of four he will conduct this year, with other trainings in New Delhi, India; Toronto, Canada; and Miami, Florida. You must apply to attend by Monday, April 20 (see above).

Posted in Environment | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Earth Day Is Coming April 22nd! Iowa Events

Rep. Ourth: Lawmakers Are Breaking The Law

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Trish Nelson

“No one should be getting fired because we aren’t abiding by the laws of this state.”

 

Posted in Iowa legislature 2015 | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Mayor Bill de Blasio Headlines Progress Iowa Event

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Trish Nelson

bill de blasioDes Moines – Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City will deliver remarks at an event for Progress Iowa on Thursday, April 16th at the Iowa State Education Association in Des Moines, Iowa. Mayor de Blasio will focus his remarks on the need to address economic inequality.

The event will be open to pre-credentialed members of the media. Those interested in covering the event must sent an email requesting credentials to matt@progressiowa.org by Wednesday, April 15th at 5:00 PM CT. A confirmation email will be sent to those receiving credentials.

WHAT: An Evening with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio

WHEN: Thursday, April 16; Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:15 p.m.

WHERE: Iowa State Education Association; 777 3rd Street, Des Moines, Iowa, 50309

Mayor Bill de Blasio is the 109th Mayor of New York City. From his early days as a young City Hall staffer, to serving on his local school board, to his most recent position as Public Advocate for the City of New York, Bill de Blasio has spent his life fighting to ensure that every New Yorker – in every neighborhood throughout our five boroughs – gets a fair shot.

Tickets to the event on Thursday are $25 each and available at http://progressiowa.org/billdeblasio.

Progress Iowa is a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization with a network of more than 60,000 progressives. Year-round, Progress Iowa advocates for a stronger middle class, first-class public education, and fairness for all Iowans under the law.

Contact: Matt Sinovic, (515) 423-0530

Posted in Local Events, Progressive Community | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Mayor Bill de Blasio Headlines Progress Iowa Event