Ames Progressive

Update (8/13): Then again, maybe my skills at prediction aren’t as good as I’d like to believe. This time in 2004, Kerry had a solid and pretty stable lead over Bush in the electoral college polls that became increasingly erratic as November closed in.
Much has been said about national polls that purportedly show a close […]

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In the 4th Congressional District, The Des Moines Register chose to endorse Becky Greenwald, for what it’s worth.
I have no idea how this one’s going to turn out, but I suspect that Greenwald, with her Iowa Democratic Party connections, and Kevin Miskell, with strong connections of his own through the Iowa Farmers Union and the […]

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Interestingly, The Des Moines Register endorsed Ed Fallon over incumbent Dem Leonard Boswell, writing that “Boswell’s own record of accomplishment in a dozen years in Congress is relatively light, and, in a recent meeting with the editorial board, he seemed out of touch about some serious issues facing the country.” Then this:
One example: Boswell expressed […]

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After casting my 3rd district absentee ballot last week at the Polk County election office (don’t forget to vote progressive June 3 if you’re still stateside), I caught a flight to Poland for a month-long study in photojournalism. Nine students and our professor are in Sopot now, at a small resort about a stone’s throw […]

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Looks like all you dirty smokers will get a break after all with the take-no-prisoners Iowa smoking ban. From last Thursday’s Iowa Independent:
As the state works out final details on how Iowa’s sweeping statewide smoking ban will be implemented on July 1, one official tells Iowa Independent that bars will be allowed to have patios […]

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Update (5/12): Previously, I wrote that I’M for Iowa was “arguably in violation of campaign law” for promoting Fallon’s congressional campaign through e-mails. In actuality, this does not appear to violate any law, and the controversy concerns questions of ethics, not legality, from Boswell’s camp.
Update #2 (5/12): Fallon paid himself  a salary in the months […]

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If I’ve learned anything about libertarians, it’s that they know how to have a good time. There’s a place on the 500 block of Hayward Avenue in Ames called the Liberty House II, ground zero of my ties to the university libertarian community here and the locale of more than a few heavily intoxicated nights […]

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That’s according to his campaign’s latest media release. Ed Fallon (who, for any newcomers to the site, is challenging Democratic Representative Leonard Boswell in Iowa’s 3rd district primary) received DFA’s Des Moines chapter endorsement in March. I’ve got to bounce in a minute, so I’ll just share with you some excerpts from the e-mail:
“PDA’s priorities […]

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…Leonard Boswell. He must have been sent one of the Boz’s Nader mailers. From my e-mail inbox today (minus the formatting):
Dear Friend,
There is an important election coming up in Iowa and I’m calling on all democrats to stand up for someone who has stood up for you time and time again. My friend, Leonard […]

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This is starting to get a little ridiculous. Thanks again to desmoinesdem at Bleeding Heartland:
Which Iowa candidate helped Ralph Nader elect George Bush…
THAT’S RIGHT.
Ed Fallon helped Ralph Nader elect George Bush…
When Ralph Nader said there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush, Ed Fallon believed him. In 2000, Fallon endorsed and actively campaigned […]

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