Iowa: Harkin

Iowans Can Take Action on Nuclear Disarmament

by Paul Deaton

Nuclear disarmament is an Iowa issue for a lot of reasons. So why do so many Iowans seem unaware or unconcerned about the importance of nuclear disarmament?

The President continues to keep the “nuclear football” nearby; enabling the rapid and mutually assured destruction of the planet should Russia launch an attack against the United States. Mutually assured destruction would directly affect Iowans, killing most, if not all of us. That concern does not appear to be sufficient reason to engage Iowans to take political action on nuclear disarmament.

With all of the “loose” nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, terrorists could obtain enough enriched uranium to create a bomb, or steal an existing bomb, and detonate it in an Iowa city.

Local Community Radio Bill Now in House of Representatives

The Local Community Radio Act is a bill currently in the House of Representatives that will allow local communities non-commercial access to the publicly owned airwaves.  

Cory Fischer-Hoffman, Campaign Director of the Prometheus Radio Project, and Mike Doyle (D-PA) spoke about the Local Community Radio Act on Democracy Now! this morning

Doyle stated that the bill is popular, bipartisan, and has a broad base of support.  The opposition (primarily National Association of Broadcasters, whose technical concerns have been proven unfounded, allowing the bill to move forward) has so far been silent, and they expect the bill to pass, but they remain cautious.

Labor, Progressives, Protest Outside Grassley's Davenport Office

[Photo:  BFIA's own Alta Price, M.D., making sure the progressive voice is heard as she hits the streets of the Quad Cities with labor activists, progressive activists and citizens fighting for health care reform]

by Tracy Kurowski

Davenport, Iowa - More than fifty people from the Quad City Area rallied to show support for health care reform and advocate for the public option in front of Senator Grassley’s Davenport office on October 6, 2009.

Senator Grassley is the only member of the Quad City Congressional delegation who is opposed to the public option. Senators Burris and Durbin in Illinois support it, along with Senator Harkin in Iowa, and Congressman Phil Hare (IL 17th), and Congressman Bruce Braley (IA 1st).

HCAN "Health Care Can't Wait" Rally at the Iowa State Fair

By Caroline Vernon

Last Friday on August 21st, Eastern Iowans from Progressive Action for the Common Good, the Quad Cities Federation of Labor, and NAMI of Scott County boarded a bus and traveled to the HCAN "Healthcare Can't Wait" Rally outside of the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.  We joined others from the area and around the state.  Senator Grassley was finishing up his Ambassadorial tour - we were hoping to get his attention somehow, but by dumb luck and a little synchronistic guidance by the Universe, a few of us stumbled right on top of him.