Tag Archives: Rekha Basu

Did Trump just give up on the farm vote?

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IS TRUMP WRITING OFF FARMERS?
Back in 2018, Trump said this about farmers: “I love them, and they voted for me, and they love me. … And they said, ‘We don’t care if we get hurt, he’s doing the right thing.’”

I wonder how many farmers actually told Trump “we don’t care if we get hurt.” There’s already enough hurt in farm country.

Climate change. Floods and droughts are measurably worse than they used to be. Besides outright crop loss, climate change impacts crop and livestock viability, meaning some farmers are having to invest in new equipment, find new markets, and figure out how to deal with new pests and diseases.

Costs vs profits. Input costs are consistently higher than market prices. According to a story last month in Farm Policy News, in 2025 “production costs were more than 50% higher than in 2011, while prices farmers received were only about 21% higher.”

Bankruptcy. According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, “Chapter 12 bankruptcies increased for the second year in a row, reaching 315 filings in 2025. This is a 46% increase from 2024.”

Suicide. According to the National Rural Health Association, the suicide rate among farmers is 3.5 times higher than that of the general population.

The challenges facing farmers are already overwhelming. Add to that Trump’s tariffs, his $40 billion bailout of Argentina (our second biggest competitor in the soybean market), and his 80,000 metric ton purchase of beef from Argentina, and “farmers who love Trump” is a shrinking universe. Continue Reading →

Joni Ernst vs the Tooth Fairy

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Joni Ernst’s “apology” for her heartless “we all are going to die” comment was one of the biggest political mistakes I’ve ever seen.

Last week, I was cautiously optimistic that Ernst’s likely Democratic opponent, J.D. Scholten (check out J.D.’s inspiring announcement video), had an outside shot at defeating her. But after Ernst’s blundering one-minute-and-eight-second snark, I’d call this race a toss-up.

Even if one tried, it’d be hard to pack so much political stupidity into one minute. The painfully close-up video. Strolling through a cemetery. Pretending to apologize. A self-serving religious plug.

But my favorite “duh” moment was when Ernst said, “I’m really, really glad I did not have to bring up the subject of the Tooth Fairy.”

Huh? Alright, I’ll give you my interpretation of that. Deep down, Ernst knows her political career is over. That’s why she’s walking through a cemetery, headstones symbolizing the many Iowans her votes have hurt. Continue Reading →

Repealing hard-earned rights: How far will Republicans go?

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It’s heart-wrenching to see the governor and Republican lawmakers target the LGBTQ community with a barrage of hurtful legislative proposals — some blatantly biased, others more subtle. It’s encouraging to see most Democrats, some Republicans, and a lot of rank-and-file Iowans speak out against these proposals.

One such bill just signed by Governor Reynolds is the so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” Really? Show me where there’s been a loss of religious freedom in America. I’m waiting. Tap, tap, tap.

So, what’s this bill really about?

As Heather Matson (D-Ankeny) points out, the bill “weaponizes religious beliefs to justify discrimination.”

No doubt. My deeper concern is that this bill, and others of its ilk, are part of an effort to establish a theocracy in America. Nothing could be more antithetical to the founding principles of our country than a government of, by, and for “the church” — meaning the narrowest, most biased interpretation of what it means to be Christian.
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Responding to the repeal of Roe v. Wade

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Sure, there are some monsters out there who have shot and killed doctors, terrorized pregnant women, and burned down medical facilities. Yet from my own work building bridges, most are good people who simply have strong beliefs. In my conversations, I listen, of course, and try to identify common ground. Yet I don’t hesitate to politely challenge “pro-life” voters to consider how a nation committed to personal liberty and religious tolerance can defend denying a woman the right to make this choice.

During 14 years as a state lawmaker, I had a 100% pro-choice voting record. Yet that didn’t stop me from working with “pro-life” Republicans to come up with strategies to reduce the incidence of abortion. That effort culminated in 1998, when five Republicans and two Democrats joined me in sponsoring HR104. That legislation passed without dissent on April 22. It established the Unintended Pregnancy Committee, and provided one of the few occasions when NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Family Policy Center, and Iowa Right to Life Committee sat down at the same table and talked.

While those of us who support a woman’s right to choose must be vocal, engaged, and firm, we must also be civil. Preaching to the choir while we lob derogatory remarks at “the other side” accomplishes nothing.
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