Tag Archives: Sarah Trone Garriott

The congresswoman who could save the Democratic Party

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What do blinding headlights have to do with saving the Democratic Party? A lot, if you heard Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) speak about it during a committee meeting last year. Maybe you’ve noticed that headlights have become significantly brighter, creating a hazard for oncoming drivers.

Gluesenkamp Perez refers to the problem as a “plague in this country of headlight brightness.”

I love the drama in that statement. Sure, when you consider the pressing, even existential, threats we face, headlights seem trivial.

But Gluesenkamp Perez’s point is that there’s a pervasive sense among Americans that our overall quality of life is declining and government doesn’t give a flying darn. Continue Reading →

Opposition attacks Sarah Trone Garriott on her strength

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Ah, Facebook. A reservoir of so many sweet family pics and cute pet vids — yet also a cesspool of caustic comments and divisive half truths.

In the latter category is a recent remark by Kimberley Strope-Boggus, a Democratic Party activist who wrote: “Well meaning folks don’t understand that politics today is a blood sport. Everything is on the table and it’s fair game. Don’t like it, stay on the porch.”

That’s just shameful, and wrong. Polls have shown that the vast majority of voters strongly disapprove of negative campaigning. Anecdotally, on my recent 220-mile Save America March, rural voters I spoke with frequently shared their disgust with the negative tone of many political campaigns. Continue Reading →

Day Four: Save America March – liberal goofball hangs with heartless conservative

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I’ve known Pat Bertroche for over a decade through our mutual involvement with radio. We also share the experience of running for Congress — Pat as a Republican, me as a Democrat. We both lost — but I got more votes than he did. So there, Pat.

Our rapport involves a lot of banter (see pervious paragraph). I ask Pat why he would allow a left-wing loony like me into his sensible conservative home.

“I appreciate you insisting on me putting you up for the night, eating my food, watching my TV,” joked Pat. “When I saw you at my door, I felt bad for you. You looked like a bedraggled kitten.”

That was after a mere six-mile march. Pat should have seen me after the previous day’s nineteen-mile slog.

“The truth is, when Republicans and Democrats actually talk we agree a lot more than we disagree,” says Pat. “Part of the problem these days is that the media — all media, both mainstream and social media — is driven by clicks. So you tend to say things that get clicks, that make headlines.” Continue Reading →

What’s happening in Gaza is genocide. Period.

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If you have a hard time understanding that Israel’s destruction of Gaza is genocide, perhaps this analogy will help:

Among many rural and suburban Iowans, there’s often palpable jealousy of Des Moines. Sometimes, like during annual legislative sessions, the jealousy feels more akin to dislike, even contempt.

If you’ll allow me a wave of macabre fantasy, imagine that the rest of Iowa has finally had enough of Des Moines and its population of 210,000 snooty residents. Military forces have been mobilized against the city in an all-out assault:

— Around 70% of all structures, including 92% of housing units, have been damaged or destroyed.

— Nearly one out of every ten residents have been killed or wounded. Continue Reading →

A conversation with State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott

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During each year’s legislative session, I invite all Iowa lawmakers to come on my program. Few seem inclined. I guess I’m scary, or maybe most don’t appreciate hard-hitting questions. Maybe I smell bad. Who knows.

This week, Iowa State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott joined me in the studio. Sarah doesn’t mind tough questions, and her answers were always clear and straightforward.

In addition to being a mom, a wife, and a Lutheran minister, Sarah represents Dallas County — the fastest growing county in the state. She’s won three close races in a district previously represented by Jake Chapman, the former Republican President of the Senate, who Sarah beat in 2022.

We discuss Sarah’s priorities. She’s concerned about Republican attacks on education, including a disturbing double standard: increased oversight of public schools and very little oversight of private schools funded with public money.

We discuss eminent domain legislation, which for three years has passed the House but stalled in the Senate. With public pressure mounting, the Senate Commerce Committee agreed to take up the House’s strong eminent domain bill last month. But under the leadership of the Committee’s chair, Republican Senator Mike Bousselot, many of the bill’s protections for landowners were removed.

Continue Reading →