Fleeing Irma

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

Sometimes I just wanna scream. (OK, sometimes I do, though never loud enough to wake the neighbors or chickens.)

HOW MUCH MORE EVIDENCE DO WE NEED!!? (Caps, bold, italics and underline intended)

Ed helping his daughter-in-law, grandson and son’s dog evacuate from South Florida.

Consistent with what climate scientists have forecast:

* Storms are getting stronger — never before have two Category 4 hurricanes hit the U.S. in the same year.

* Unprecedented wildfires continue to rage in ten Western states, with 21,000 firefighters working to contain them.

* Heck, there was even a large wildfire in Greenland this summer. Freaking Greenland!

* Last year surpassed 2015 as the hottest on record, and 14 of the 15 warmest years have occurred since 2000.

* Average global sea level reached a record high in 2016.

* And the cherry on the melting ice cream cake . . . “No surprise, global atmospheric CO2 concentration reached another record high in the official database, surpassing 402 ppm.” (AccuWeather’s Brett Anderson)

One could cite many more statistics. They add up to the undeniable reality that “climate change is rolling toward us like a freight train, mucking up our weather and our lives.” (Ed Fallon, “Get Your Lazy Ass Out of Bed.” Yeah, I just quoted myself. Awesome, hey?)

So one would think that if someone, say me, listened to hours and hours of radio news reports while driving 1,200 miles to help evacuate his daughter-in-law, grandson and son’s dog (who is more qualified to serve as the USDA’s Chief Scientist than Sam Clovis, just saying) from South Florida to safe haven in the North . . . you’d think I’d hear just one mention of the link between climate change and Hurricane Irma. But no. Not on CNN. Not on CBS. Not even on NPR.

Well, ok, one mainstream media outlet did mention climate change: Fox. Yup. A Fox News anchor interviewed a meteorologist about Hurricane Irma and asked if it was “just cyclical.” The meteorologist paused and said as politely as he could that, well, actually, there’s a lot more warm water in the Atlantic Ocean than there used be.

I hear it now: “Fallon, stop politicizing this terrible disaster. Just focus on saving lives and protecting property. You can have your climate rant after the waters recede and power is restored.”

Sorry, but that argument is B.S. The time to talk about the Irma-climate link is NOW — not after the media have moved on to the next hot item in the news cycle.

Discussing climate change isn’t politicizing the news (like that never happens). We’re talking science, not politics. Politics is when, for example, an elected official takes money from Energy Transfer Partners and then supports the Dakota Access pipeline, as a bipartisan cadre of Iowa political sell-outs did last year.

Ignoring the primary cause of this record-breaking hurricane is unreasonable, irresponsible and lets another teachable moment slip through our fingers as we free fall toward catastrophe.

CLIMATE CHANGE MUST BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH EVERY UNPRECEDENTED METEOROLOGICAL MOMENT.

Help make that happen. One thing you can do is support Bold Iowa. Our funding comes from people like you who care deeply about the climate crisis and renewable energy, eminent domain abuse, money in politics and the embarrassing ineffectiveness of our political leadership. So, yeah, we’ve got our hands full. If you can convince just one of your hands to take a few minutes to make a donation of $25, $50 or $100, we’d be most grateful.

Also, here’s a link to last week’s action to encourage Gov. Reynolds to remove Richard Lozier from the Iowa Utilities Board, and . . .

. . . a link to my interview with Lee Camp regarding the Energy Transfer Partners lawsuit naming Bold Iowa and citing these very blogs. Thanks!

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Another Pipeline??

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

Stringing pipe depicted in August 2 FERC report.

This week, two Boone County landowners contacted me when they noticed a large amount of pipe arriving at the staging area used last year to stockpile materials for the Dakota Access pipeline. Ever suspicious of Dakota Access’ activities and motives, folks in Boone County were rightfully on guard.

So, I dug into it a bit. I contacted officials with both the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). I learned that the pipe is for the Northern Natural Gas (NNG) Company Des Moines B-Line Loop Project (Docket No. CP17-434-000, for those inclined to dig further). It’ll extend 13.8 miles through Boone and Polk counties.

The filing from Northern Natural Gas to FERC. Click on the picture to read document in full.

Here’s one of the documents from FERC that I’ve been studying. It tells a bit about the project, and shows photos of extensive crop destruction. It opens the door to a lot of unanswered questions. For starters:

– Why is NNG’s project just coming to the public’s attention now? Did we miss something? Were the press and general public asleep at the wheel? Or did NNG hope to avoid public awareness, input, and potentially, opposition?

– Will this project expand the capacity to transport natural gas? If so, by how much? If it does increase gas production, that raises concerns about the impact on climate change, since methane is arguably more problematic than carbon dioxide. (Check out this Union of Concerned Scientists article on the subject.)

– Is the gas being transported through this pipeline fracked? If so, there are concerns about water quality and land-use issues at the site where the gas is being fracked.

August 2 FERC report shows clearing of beans.

– How much corn and bean crop will this pipeline project destroy? Are landowners being compensated for crop damage? Since the project is fairly small, why couldn’t NNG wait until the crops have been harvested? It seems doubtful that farmers were given much notice about this project, because I suspect they wouldn’t have wasted time and money planting this spring if they’d known their crops were going to be destroyed.

– Is NNG using only existing easements, or is new land being condemned through eminent domain?

– What precautions are being taken to assure the safety and protection of Beaver Creek, which the pipeline crosses three times?

– How many men and women working on this pipeline are from Iowa? Thinking back to the many times I visited construction sites along the Dakota Access pipeline, only one out of every ten vehicles had an Iowa license plate.

I’m sure I’m missing some important questions. I’ve known about this situation only since late Wednesday. If you live in Boone County or feel inclined to an investigative road trip, I’d appreciate any additional information you can share. Let’s remain vigilant, and let’s keep pushing back against big fossil fuel companies (mostly from Texas, it seems) that think they can trample on our land, water, climate and property rights with impunity.

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Pipeline Opponents to Gov Reynolds: Appoint New IUB Member

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

When I ask folks what they think of Iowa’s new Governor, Kim Reynolds, the usual response is, “Well, nothing really.” And that’s fine. She’s only been Governor for a few weeks, and for the last six years, has existed primarily as Governor Branstad’s shadow.

Well, here’s one of Gov. Reynolds’ first big opportunities to show that she’s not just a Branstad clone. Read on, and if you agree with what Christine Nobiss and I are working to accomplish, as laid out in this press release, share it widely. And come join us on July 1st. Thanks!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1:00 p.m. CT, June 14, 2017
Contact: Ed Fallon at 515-238-6404 or ed@fallonforum.com
Contact: Christine Nobiss at 319-331-8034 or cnobiss@gmail.com

Pipeline Opponents to Gov Reynolds: Appoint New IUB Member
July 1 action at the State Capitol announced

Richard W. Lozier, Jr.

Des Moines, Iowa — In light of Iowa Utilities Board member Richard W. Lozier, Jr.’s statement today that he is recusing himself from any votes or even discussion of the Dakota Access pipeline, Bold Iowa and Indigenous Iowa called on Governor Kim Reynolds to remove him from the board and appoint someone without a conflict of interest. Lozier served as legal counsel for the MAIN Coalition, a public relations firm with close ties to Dakota Access and Energy Transfer Partners.

Read Lozier’s recusal statement here.

“It’s mind boggling that Gov. Branstad appointed someone with such a clear conflict of interest on the biggest issue ever to come before the IUB,” said Ed Fallon. “The question now is will Gov. Reynolds do the right thing: remove Lozier from the board and appoint someone who’s not beholden to the fossil fuel industry.”

“Big Oil and its minions within state government keep giving us more reasons to fight,” said Christine Nobiss, founder of Indigenous Iowa. “We’ll rally at the State Capitol on July 1, right in front of her office, and I hope she’s working that day so she hears our message: ‘No more political patronage for fossil fuel flunkies!’”

The July 1 action (click here for details) will be on the south side of the Iowa State Capitol, just outside the Governor’s office and across from the Iowa Supreme Court Building. The event’s focus is twofold:

Encourage Gov. Reynolds to remove Lozier from the IUB, and
Remind the public of the importance of the lawsuit pending before the Iowa Supreme Court, in which a group of landowners allege eminent domain was used illegally to take their land for the pipeline. Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is also a plaintiff in that lawsuit, alleging that the IUB should not have issued a permit to Dakota Access.

# # #

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BREAKING: IUB to DAPL: Get Insurance by Tuesday

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Happy Friday Folks –

Below is the official order from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) regarding DAPL letting the insurance on its oil pipeline lapse (click here to see the original). Yeah, I know, releasing news on a Friday afternoon is a great way to suppress it. Let’s do what we can to change that. Read the order, below, and help circulate the press release I sent out here. Thanks! – Ed

[BREAKING AS OF 4:40 P.M. Central Time: Fallon just got off the phone with IUB staff person who said, “I can’t confirm whether Dakota Access does or does not have insurance right now.”]

IN RE:
DAKOTA ACCESS, LLC
STATE OF IOWA DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE UTILITIES BOARD
DOCKET NO. HLP-2014-0001

ORDER REGARDING INSURANCE REQUIREMENT
(Issued June 9, 2017)

On March 10, 2016, the Utilities Board issued its “Final Decision and Order” in this docket. In the order, among other things, the Board directed Dakota Access, LLC (Dakota Access), to file and maintain at least $25,000,000 in general liability insurance, to be re-filed and reviewed each time it is renewed for the life of the pipeline. (See Ordering Clause No. 3.a at p. 153.)

On March 16, 2016, Dakota Access filed general liability, excess liability, and umbrella insurance policies with the Board, followed by public (redacted versions) on June 1, 2016. The filing included confirmation of coverage for the term from March 15, 2016, to March 15, 2017. On March 22, 2017, Dakota Access filed written endorsements extending the terms of the policies to May 1, 2017. Dakota Access said that it intended to renew or replace the policies for a longer term on or about May 1, 2017, and would file written evidence of the renewal or replacement promptly thereafter. Then, on May 15, 2017, filed endorsements further extending the terms of the policies to June 1, 2017, and said that because the pipeline was expected to go

DOCKET NO. HLP-2014-0001 PAGE 2

into service in the near future, it had secured new policies to replace the existing policies, which “will be filed with the Board as soon as they are available.”

As of June 7, 2017, no such filing has been made. It is important that the Board have accurate, up-to-date information regarding the insurance for this pipeline. Accordingly, the Board will direct Dakota Access to file, on or before June 13, 2017, either (a) the new insurance policies or (b) a detailed report describing the status of the policies and stating when they will be filed.

IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED:
On or before June 13, 2017, Dakota Access, LLC, shall file either (a) insurance policies complying with the requirements of Ordering Clause No. 3.a in the “Final Decision and Order” issued in this docket on March 10, 2016, or (b) a detailed report describing the status of insurance for the pipeline that is the subject of this docket, including a statement of when new insurance policies will be filed.

ATTEST:
/s/ Trisha M. Quijano
UTILITIES BOARD
/s/ Geri D. Huser
/s/ Nick Wagner

Executive Secretary, Designee
Dated at Des Moines, Iowa, this 9th day of June 2017.

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Spies Validate Our Success

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

If you spend 20 minutes reading anything this week, let it be this incredible story by The Intercept. In an age when independent investigative journalism is rare and threats against our liberty are growing, this is a must read.

The story reveals how a “shadowy international mercenary and security firm known as TigerSwan targeted the movement opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline with military-style counterterrorism measures”.

Spying and infiltration focused on pipeline opponents mostly in North Dakota and Iowa. The story exposes how “TigerSwan spearheaded a multifaceted private security operation characterized by sweeping and invasive surveillance of protesters”.

Christine, Ed and Cyndy Coppola approach construction equipment at first BAT action on September 20, 2016.

When The Intercept contacted me I readily agreed to allow my name to be unredacted. Every freedom-loving, pipeline-fighting, land-defending patriot caught in TigerSwan’s web should be proud to be a threat to Big Oil.

Even though Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) says oil will begin to flow on June 1st, there’s no doubt our efforts have been impactful. Here’s an excerpt from one of TigerSwan’s reports describing our mobile Bold Action Teams (BATs):

Christine Sheller and Arlo blocking construction equipment at first BAT action on September 20, 2016.

“Bold Iowa’s BAT tactic was unfortunately successful today. Work was stopped at several sites and used up a lot of our resources…If the lockdown tactics of Mississippi Stand and the BAT tactics of Bold Iowa were to join forces it would severely impact our mission.”

And TigerSwan is still monitoring our activities! Here’s an anonymous tip I received yesterday:

“TigerSwan is definitely deeply imbedded in Iowa. They have upped all of their men between Fort Dodge and Sioux Falls. Hotels in the areas in between are filled with their crews.”

ETP is concerned what we, the People, still might do to resist their illegal pipeline trampling our Constitutional rights and threatening our land, water and climate.

Let’s give ’em something to worry about. Here’s a few upcoming events that I hope you’ll attend:

Ongoing: Indigenous Iowa‘s Little Creek Camp
June 6: Kriss Wells’ trial
June 17: Protect Our Rivers Flotilla in Pilot Mound
June 22: Hold the Iowa Utilities Board Accountable
June 24: “Pipeline Fighters United” Fundraiser for Bold Iowa, 3:00-6:00 p.m. at the Down Under in Omaha (we’ll have a link to share soon)
June 28: Kriss Wells’ other trial
June 30: Heather Pearson’s trial

(Note: Regarding trials, always check the day before to confirm they’re still happening, as the Court often postpones a trial at the last minute.)

TigerSwan, we understand why you lurk in the shadows. But we have nothing to hide. Truth and history are on our side. The selfish motives of greedy men like ETP’s Kelcy Warren will be exposed. Our rights will be restored. Our sacred land and water will be protected. It may take time, but we’re in it for the long haul — persistently, prayerfully, nonviolently and respectfully.

Thanks for watching, TigerSwan. And now you know: We’re watching you, too.

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New IUB conflict revealed as DAPL request denied!

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Ed Fallon

To those who say, “The fight against the Dakota Access pipeline is over, so just move on,” we pipeline fighters and water protectors say, “Not so fast!”

Lawsuit plaintiffs at a 2016 press conference

Tuesday, the Iowa Supreme Court sided with nine Iowa landowners and the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, rejecting Dakota Access’ request to have the landowners’ lawsuit dismissed!

The Court’s order reads: “Dakota Access contends this appeal should be dismissed because the appellant, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, has failed to establish proper standing in this matter and the remaining appellants’ claims are moot. Upon consideration, the motion to dismiss is denied. Dakota Access may raise the issues regarding standing and mootness in its appellate brief.”

The march after the landowners’ hearing at the Polk County Courthouse in December

Click here to read the complete order: 17. Order – Motion to Dismiss Denied

This is a really big deal. It means the case against the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) and Dakota Access will move forward, with a schedule for court filings being established and a trial likely later this year or early in 2018.

The Court’s order revealed another important and disturbing development. Richard W. Lozier, Jr. requested permission to withdraw as counsel for the MAIN Coalition — a front group for Dakota Access. The Court rightfully granted that request. What’s incredible is that Governor Branstad recently appointed Lozier to the IUB, filling the seat vacated by Libby Jacobs, despite this clear conflict of interest!

Richard W. Lozier, Jr.

If Branstad wanted to inflame pipeline opponents and encourage further criticism of the rampant corruption within his administration, putting Lozier on the IUB was the perfect way to do that.

Now the burden of defending this wolf-guards-hen-house appointment falls to Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds. It’ll be interesting to see how Reynolds responds. If she kowtows to Big Oil and keeps Lozier on the IUB, don’t be surprised if her Republican opponent(s) make hay with it leading up to next June’s gubernatorial primary.

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Board that Approved Pipeline Again Under Fire

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

The Iowa Utilities Board continues to demonstrate how out of touch it is with both reality and public opinion. Check out this Bleeding Heartland story about Board chair Geri Huser’s unprecedented conflict of interest. Associated Press reporter Ryan Foley originally broke the story. Here’s the link to that: Iowa regulator keeps busy private law practice.

Geri Huser, Chair, Iowa Utilities Board

The Iowa Senate has the opportunity to do the right thing relevant to whether or not Huser remains on the board. Writes Bleeding Heartland:

“Senators don’t need to make this into a complicated question. Iowa Code says each utilities board member ‘shall devote the member’s whole time to the duties of the office.’ Farming on the weekend or driving a cab at night isn’t the same as lawyering during regular business hours. Anyway, those other occupations don’t present potential conflicts of interest. It’s not a coincidence that no other attorney in living memory has continued running a private law practice while serving on the IUB.”

In the meantime, join Indigenous Iowa and Bold Iowa tomorrow as we call out the IUB for this and other conflicts-of-interest, and for failing to represent the public interest on so many occasions during the hasty approval process for the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Here’s an excerpt from Bold Iowa’s press release that went out this morning about tomorrow’s IUB event. Read the full release here:

Members and supporters of Indigenous Iowa and Bold Iowa are invited to join a rally outside IUB this Thursday, April 6 at 1:30 p.m. In addition to comments by organizers and a chance for people to speak out, Native drummers and singers will perform, calling attention to the many ways in which the Dakota Access pipeline is an affront to Native communities in Iowa, North Dakota and across the U.S.

WHAT: Native-led Rally at IUB to Challenge Dakota Access Approval
WHO: Indigenous Iowa, Bold Iowa, Native drummers & singers
WHEN: Thursday, April 6, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: Iowa Utilities Board, 1375 E. Court Avenue, Des Moines

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Native Youth Run to Stop Pipeline

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, I learned from sources in southeast Iowa that pipeline construction has started in Lee and Jefferson counties. This is a sad moment for Iowa. But after the Iowa Utilities Board ruling last month, we knew it was coming.

While sad, I’m hardly discouraged. We still have the court case brought by ten landowners over the illegal use of eminent domain. We still await the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision on issuing a permit.

And remember: Construction was initiated on other pipelines elsewhere in the country (Keystone, Constitution, Palmetto) and they were defeated. Don’t give up! We can stop this!

Need more hope? On Friday, youth from the Standing Rock Sioux reservation will set-out on a 1,500-mile “Run for Our Water” to Washington, DC to protest the pipeline. They’ll cross Iowa from July 19 – 25, and they invite people to run with them, meet them, share a meal with them and hear their stories. They also need to borrow a couple of vans, if you have one to spare or would like to pay for one to be rented. For more information visit their Facebook Page or contact Bobbi Jean Three Legs at bobbi.jean@ocetisakowinyouth.com or Joseph White Eyes at joseph@ocetisakowinyouth.com.

Need even more hope? Support for direct action to stop the pipeline continues to grow, with nearly 1,000 people signing the Pledge of Resistance! This is incredible and unprecedented. Thank you to those who have signed. If you haven’t, please read the Pledge and consider being part of what could be a truly historic moment.

It’s impossible to say exactly when or where direct action will occur, but it could be soon, and it could be anywhere in Iowa. I’ll keep you posted, and please visit the Bold Iowa Facebook Page for additional updates. Thanks again to Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and CREDO Action for partnering with Bold Iowa to help circulate the Pledge.

*******

Here are the segment topics from this week’s Fallon Forum, with Dr. Charles Goldman co-hosting. Please bear with us while we continue to work out the kinks in our new and vastly-improved podcasting format. Listen to podcasts here.

1. Shootings show America’s worsening racial and economic divide
2. Anna Kalinsky speaks out on Exxon
3. Our militarized police force an invitation to Fascism
4. Clinton foreign policy more hawk than dove
5. Abortion opponents lose…again

Listen to the Fallon Forum:
– Live Mondays, 11:00-12:00 noon CT on La Reina KDLF 1260 AM (Des Moines, IA)
– Outside of central Iowa, listen live here: FALLON FORUM LIVE-STREAM
– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, IA)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, IA)
– WHIV 102.3 FM (New Orleans, LA)
– KPIP-LP, 94.7 FM (Fayette, MO)

Thanks! – Ed Fallon

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Pipeline Fighters Needed on Monday!

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Ed Fallon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, June 5, 2016

Contact: Ed Fallon, Bold Iowa ed@boldiowa.org, (515) 238-6404
Adam Mason, Iowa CCI adam@iowacci.org, (515) 282-0484

“BROKEN HEARTLAND” RALLY OPPOSES PIPELINE

Des Moines, IA – With the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) meeting on Monday, June 6 to possibly decide to allow construction of the Bakken Pipeline in Iowa, Bold Iowa, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, and the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition are set to rally on Monday, June 6 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the far west side of the west Capitol Terrace, on the large granite county map of Iowa, at E Locust and E 7th streets.

The groups will ask the IUB not to reverse its March 10 order requiring Dakota Access to secure all necessary permits and authorizations for the proposed Bakken Oil Pipeline, set to cross 18 Iowa counties and all of Iowa’s major waterways. Participants will present a creative, visual representation of the potential impact of the pipeline on Iowa’s watersheds, with statements being shared by landowners in each of those watershed areas.

Since the March 10 ruling, Dakota Access has still not received the needed Army Corps of Engineers’ authorizations. On May 25, the US Fish & Wildlife Service revoked an Iowa DNR-issued Sovereign Lands permit after discovering a historic and culturally significant Native America site in the pipeline’s path in Lyon County.

Iowans remain concerned about the project’s impact on soil, water, property rights and economic interests.

Bold Iowa, Iowa CCI and the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition will continue building their “Summer of Resistance” against the Bakken Pipeline. At the granite county map of Iowa on the State Capitol grounds, seven Iowans will speak out about their ecosystems and communities that the pipeline imperils, against the backdrop of a huge patchwork heart in this “Broken Heartland” action.

Who: Bold Iowa, Iowa CCI and Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition
What: Rally and creative political theater against the Pipeline
Where: Map on the West Capitol Terrace, E Locust & E 7th
When: Monday June 6, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Bold Iowa and Iowa CCI are part of a growing number of organizations, landowners and everyday Iowans across the state committed to stopping the proposed Bakken Pipeline. Both groups work closely with and are members of the 30-member Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition. Visit www.nobakken.com.

Bold Iowa is part of the national Bold Alliance, now in five states and building unlikely alliances to fight fossil-fuel infrastructure expansion projects and promote renewable energy. Visit www.boldnebraska.org/tag/bold-alliance.

Iowa CCI is a statewide, grassroots people’s-action group that uses community organizing to win public policy that puts communities before corporations and people before profits, politics and polluters. CCI has fought to put people first for 40 years. Visit www.iowacci.org.

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Endorsements

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Ed Fallon

Dear Friends,

Due to multitudinous requests for more detail about the candidates I’m endorsing . . . .

PRESIDENT: BERNIE SANDERS – This is relevant if you live in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota, or if you have friends who live in those states. In other words, it’s relevant for all of you!

This race is not over. Not even close. If Sanders wins next Tuesday, the Democratic convention in Philadelphia is going to be, well . . . . HUGE! Any American who understands that a Donald Trump presidency couldn’t lead to fascism should be fighting as hard as possible for the candidate best able to defeat Trump in November. Nearly every single poll shows Sanders trumping Trump by significant margins. Hillary Clinton either wins by margins that are sometimes too close for comfort or, in some key states, actually loses to Trump.

A Trump presidency is a risk we can’t take.

I dislike polls as much as anybody. But as I learned when I ran for Congress, professional polls are remarkably accurate. Democrats supporting Clinton need to face the fact that Sanders is the strongest candidate to avert what could be the greatest threat ever to our liberty and freedom.

So, tell your friends and their friends in the states listed above to vote for Bernie Sanders on June 7. If you want to get even more involved, in a brilliant piece of campaign strategy, the Sanders campaign has launched a coordinated effort to ask supporters across the country to call voters in these states. Click here to get on the phone for Bernie.

U.S. SENATE: ROB HOGG – I have good friends who are supporting Bob Krause or Tom Fiegen. I respect that. I would be content with either of them as my U.S. Senator. But Hogg has absolutely distinguished himself as one of not just Iowa’s but America’s most vocal and effective advocates for serious climate action. With Hogg in the Senate, the U.S. Congress will no longer be able to ignore the climate crisis. He feels that strongly about it, and understands it that thoroughly.

And now, to utter words that the Iowa Democratic Establishment dreads . . . . I will not vote for Patty Judge in November. I will vote for Hogg, Fiegen or Krause if any of them wins the nomination. But not for Judge, and I know there are lots of Iowans who feel the same way. The last thing the U.S. Senate needs is another pawn of corporate interests. On this account, Judge has a long and distinguished record. My interests, and I suspect your interests, will be not be those that drive Judge as a U.S. Senator. As when she was Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and Lt. Governor, it will be corporate donors who have her ear, not us.

So, not only is Hogg the best candidate to fight the climate crisis, he’s also the best candidate to beat Judge in the primary and Chuck Grassley in November. Want to learn more from the man himself? I’m hosting a house party and concert for Rob at 735 19th St in Des Moines this Sunday, June 5th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Donations to Rob’s campaign appreciated but certainly not required. Here’s the link to the Facebook invitation.

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 1: MONICA VERNON – The First District is the northeast quadrant of the state. Honestly, I don’t know Monica Vernon that well. I’ve met her a few times, like her well enough, and hear good things about her. But I know Pat Murphy really well, and when I think of people I enjoyed serving with at the Statehouse, Murphy is not on even on the long list. He was difficult to work with, and often opposed me and others on progressive legislation that the vast majority of voters supported.

This primary election is pretty much a repeat. Murphy won last time, only to lose in the general election in a district that is overwhelmingly Democratic. He had his chance and blew it. I say it’s time to give Vernon a shot.

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 3: DESMUND ADAMS – The Third District includes Des Moines, Council Bluffs and southwest Iowa. I’ve been crystal clear that Desmund Adams is my guy. (Click here to see the video from my house party for him.) Adams is a fast study on issues, and as our Congressman, he’d be Iowa’s lone progressive voice in Washington. (Someone pass that along to Congressman Loebsack for me.)

The other Democratic candidates are Mike Sherzan and Jim Mowrer. I’ve only met Sherzan once and don’t have a good sense of his priorities, though I could conceivably vote for him in November.

But as with the U.S. Senate race, I’ll make it perfectly clear that, should Jim Mowrer win the Democratic primary, I will not vote for him in the fall. The last thing Washington needs is another foreign policy hawk whose main claim to political viability is a tenacious ability to rake in money from special interests.

Besides, in terms of winning the general election, Adams presents the greatest contrast with Rep. David Young — and contrast is never a bad thing in a swing district such as the Third.

IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 29: DAN KELLEY – Dan Kelley has done an excellent job over the last six years representing Jasper County at the Statehouse, where he’s admired for his sincerity, integrity and hard work. He’s been Iowa’s most vocal opponent of the Bakken Pipeline — which is, I suspect, one reason he has a primary opponent from . . . you guessed it: The Democratic Establishment.

More than anything, Dan needs boots on the ground, so to speak. Come join me in Newton on Saturday, June 4 at 10:00 a.m. to knock on doors for Dan so we can send him back to the State Capitol where he has done so much good for his constituents and for all of Iowa. Click here for detail on Saturday’s door knocking event.

IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 41: EDDIE MAURO – I first met Eddie Mauro when I was helping deliver meals to the homeless along the Des Moines River one day. No, Mauro wasn’t homeless. He was delivering meals, too. That impressed me, and suggested that he has the heart and sense of compassion needed of a true public servant. So, if you live in Sherman Hill, southwest Des Moines or west-central Des Moines, please consider giving Mauro your vote.