2012 Elections, Iowa Senate, Women

Election 2012: Women, especially Democrats, should gain Senate influence

The Iowa Senate has 50 members, each representing a specific segment of state. Of those 50 members, eight are currently women. And, of those eight women, four are Republicans and ...

Federal Government, Iowa House, State Government, Women

Iowa lawmakers nod to Texas tricks, put all family planning at risk

Four Iowa House members (two of them women) believe the Hawkeye State should follow Texas’ lead and set a prioritized system for distribution of family planning funds. The move is ...

Blog

Good for goodness sake?

I like to think that several months ago I stumbled into a controversy on Facebook. The truth is that while I may have flippantly added the comment that sparked the ...

Spotlight

March 6, 2012 | 2 Comments

Brief shows economic costs of unintended pregnancy

A new brief by The Brookings Institution provides an in-depth look at ...

March 6, 2012 | Comments Off

Video: Jon Stewart on Limbaugh

Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart provided his perspective on the most recent hysteria ...

March 5, 2012 | 3 Comments

Open letter to 600 WMT & Clear Channel

Dear powers-that-be at Cedar Rapids-based 600 WMT Radio and Clear Channel Communications, ...

Latest News

March 6, 2012 | 1 Comment

Poll: No GOP presidential candidate in positive territory

The news isn’t good for the four leading Republican presidential hopefuls. A Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich are viewed unfavorably by the American people. Romney is found either somewhat or strongly unfavorable by 45 percent of respondents (35 percent find him somewhat or strongly favorable [...]

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March 4, 2012 | 1 Comment

Sunday Linkfest & Earworm

Imelda May singing Tainted Love: Now, take a deep breath because the stench of pay-to-play politics has been whipped with a little religion and fried up Iowa Fair style. Iowa’s own Steve Scheffler — an elected member of the Republican National Committee and leader of the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition (formerly Iowa Christian Alliance) [...]

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March 2, 2012 | 1 Comment

Learning to live with a chronic illness

According to the family rumor mill, many people were fooled into believing that I was reading at age two. The reality is far more lovely and rare. My older sister, who patiently presented Horton and a wealth of other characters day after day and night after night, was a carrier of a disease I’ve yet [...]

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March 2, 2012 | 1 Comment

Videos: Outrage over Limbaugh’s ‘slut’ accusation goes mainstream

Viewers tuned into morning news shows Friday learned about a controversy that has been raging among feminists for the past several days. Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has turned his ire on Sandra Fluke, a third-year law student at Georgetown University who was banned from testifying at a U.S. House committee hearing chaired by California [...]

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March 1, 2012 | Comments Off

Grassley, Harkin combine forces on packer/livestock bill

U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin are supporting a newly introduced bill that would ban most meatpackers from owning livestock. The measure was introduced Wednesday by Iowa Republican Grassley and North Dakota Democrat Kent Conrad. Iowa Democrat Harkin and South Dakota Republican Tim Johnson were original co-sponsors. The bill does not impact packers too [...]

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March 1, 2012 | Comments Off

Women’s health attacked through Senate highway bill

On Wednesday, U.S. Senators filed to the floor in order to speak about an amendment offered by Missouri Republican Roy Blunt to a highway bill — although the offering has nothing to do with the many billions of dollars being debated for roadways. Blunt’s amendment hopes to give employers carte blanche refusal of payment or [...]

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February 29, 2012 | 2 Comments

U.S. Reps declare ‘Women’s Health Wednesday’

If you’re tuned into C-SPAN’s coverage of the U.S. House this morning, you’ve already noticed that several Democratic lawmakers have chosen to use one minute floor speeches in support of women’s health. The speeches, which will take place every Wednesday this year that the House is in session, are the brain child of the Pro-Choice [...]

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February 29, 2012 | Comments Off

Iowa Legislature makes ag whistleblowing a crime

The passage of the so-called “ag gag” bill (Senate File 2172) has been approved by the Iowa House and Senate. And, yes, it was changed from the over-the-top House version that passed in that chamber during 2011, but the basic sentiment has remained. For a really good wrap-up of debate, comments and voting, click over [...]

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February 28, 2012 | 3 Comments

Grassley’s opposition to VAWA doesn’t hold water

In July 2011, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican who serves as ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, recorded and posted the following video regarding the upcoming reauthorization of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA): At that time, at least based on this weekly address, Grassley was concerned about oversight and accountability in [...]

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February 28, 2012 | Comments Off

For ninth year, public says money given to public broadcasting is ‘well spent’

Can you remember the headlines from about a year ago? If so, you’ll remember how Congressional Republicans were once again taking public broadcasting to task. There were, of course, the typical reasons du jour for Republicans to pursue the defunding. Those ranged from a perceived conservative journalist Juan Williams being fired to a highly edited [...]

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