Iowa Republicans are struggling this week to convince people the state’s economy doesn’t stink.
kAm~? |@?52J[ (2==6EwF3 C6=62D65 2 C6A@CE D2J:?8 x@H2 H2D E96 H@CDE DE2E6 😕 E96 4@F?ECJ 7@C 64@?@>:4 24E:G:EJ] p4EF2==J[ H6 H6C6 d`DE[ H96? J@F :?4=F56 E96 s:DEC:4E @7 r@=@>3:2]k^Am
kAmv@ E62>Pk^Am
kAm}@C>2==J[ x@H2 #6AF3=:42?D =@G6 E96D6 EJA6D @7 DFCG6JD 2?5 E6DE:>@?:2=Dj E92E :D[ H96? E96J E@FE 8@@5 ?6HD] %96J 6G6? 8@ E96 6IEC2 >:=6 D@>6E:>6D E@ 5:DE@CE E96> E@ ECJ E@ >2<6 E96:C =6256CD =@@< 36EE6C]k^Am
kAm%9:D H66<[ E9@F89[ #6AF3=:42?D H6C6 42F89E 7=2E\7@@E65]k^Am
kAmy677 z2F7>2??[ E96 DE2E6 A2CEJ 492:C[ 24@H=65865 72:=:?8D 😕 E96 64@?@>J[ 3FE 3=2>65 E96> @? y@6 q:56?]k^Am
kAmv@G] z:> #6J?@=5D[ @? E96 @E96C 92?5[ ;FDE EC:65 E@ D9:7E E96 7@4FD]k^Am
kAm}@C>2==J[ x’> ?@E 2 72? @7 E96D6 DFCG6JD] |@DE=J[ 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 D@ >2?J @7 E96>] p?5 2D EH@ 6IA6CED 😕 64@?@>:4D A@:?E65 @FE 😕 2 s6D |@:?6D #68:DE6C 2CE:4=6[ E96 >6E9@5@=@8J 😀 DF3;64E:G6] tG6? D@[ E96:C 4@>>6?ED >256 :E BF:E6 4=62C E92E[ 5@F3ED 23@FE E96 DFCG6J 2D:56[ E96C6 😀 ?@ 5@F3E E96 DE2E6’D 64@?@>J 92D 366? DECF88=:?8 7@C 2 =@?8 E:>6]k^Am
kAm%92E’D ECF6 6G6? H96? 4@>A2C65 H:E9 @FC |:5H6DE ?6:893@CD[ 2?5 :E’D 86EE:?8 H@CD6]k^Am
kAmyFDE 4@?D:56C 2 4@FA=6 @7 C646?E 52E2 A@:?ED 32D65 @? 8@G6C?>6?E 7:8FC6D E92E >62DFC6 D@>6 EC25:E:@?2= 36?49>2CJ]k^Am
kAmu:CDE A@:?Ei p== @7 x@H2’D 4@?E:8F@FD DE2E6D 25565 ?@?\72C> ;@3D @G6C E96 A2DE J62C[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 qFC62F @7 {23@C $E2E:DE:4D C6A@CE 7@C pAC:=] qFE ?@E x@H2] xE H2D E96 @FE=:6C] x@H2 =@DE ;@3D 36EH66? pAC:= a_ac 2?5 pAC:= a_ad] x? 724E[ E96C6 H2D @?=J @?6 @E96C DE2E6 😕 E96 ?2E:@? — (6DE ‘:C8:?:2 — E92E 2=D@ =@DE ;@3D 5FC:?8 E96 D2>6 A6C:@5]k^Am
kAm$64@?5 A@:?Ei x@H2 2?5 }@CE9 s2<@E2 H6C6 E96 @?=J EH@ DE2E6D 😕 E96 ?2E:@? =2DE J62C E@ D66 E96:C C62= vC@DD s@>6DE:4 !C@5F4E D9C:?<] p?5 36EH66? a_a` 2?5 a_ac[ x@H2 H2D E96 @?=J DE2E6 E@ D66 :ED C62= vs! D9C:?<] tG6CJ @E96C DE2E6’D 64@?@>J 8C6H]k^Am
kAm!FE E9@D6 EH@ A@:?ED E@86E96C 2?5 E96J 255 FA E@ 2H7F=] p?5 4@?EC2CJ E@ z2F7>2??’D 4=2:>D[ E9:D :D?’E q:56?’D 72F=E] x7 :E H2D[ H9J 2C6 E96 DE2E6D 2== 2C@F?5 FD 255:?8 ;@3D 2?5 x@H2 😀 =@D:?8 E96>nk^Am
kAm(9J 5@ E96 64@?@>:6D @7 @E96C DE2E6D 8C@H[ 3FE ?@E x@H2’Dnk^Am
kAmxE’D ?@E ;FDE 2 C646?E AC@3=6>[ 6:E96C]k^Am
kAmpD x HC@E6 C646?E=Jik^Am
kAm$:?46 z:> #6J?@=5D 3642>6 8@G6C?@C 😕 >:5\a_`f[ x@H2’D :?7=2E:@?\25;FDE65 vs! 92D DE28?2E65] q6EH66? E96 6?5 @7 a_`f 2?5 a_ac[ vs! 92D 8C@H? 3J ;FDE f]dT[ @C `T A6C J62C]k^Am
kAm#6J?@=5D’ 64@?@>J 72:=D ?@E @?=J 😕 4@>A2C:D@? H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 E96 ?2E:@?[ 3FE D96 72==D D9@CE @7 96C AC65646DD@CD[ E@@] p44@C5:?8 E@ 2 C6A@CE 3J E96 {68:D=2E:G6 $6CG:46D p86?4J[ x@H2’D ?@>:?2= vs![ 2D 2 D92C6 @7 E96 &$ 64@?@>J[ 92D D9CF?< 5C2>2E:42==J @? #6J?@=5D’ H2E49]k^Am
kAm“x@H2’D D92C6 @7 &]$] vs! 😀 4FCC6?E=J 2E :ED =@H6DE >62DFC6 D:?46 E96 4FCC6?E 7656C2= DE2E:DE:4D 3642>6 2G2:=23=6 😕 `hhf] x@H2’D D92C6 @7 E96 &]$] 64@?@>J 92D 564C62D65 😕 D6G6? @7 E96 A2DE ?:?6 J62CD[” E96 {$p C6A@CE D2:5]k^Am
kAm%92E >62?D H9:=6 @E96C DE2E6D 2C6 82:?:?8[ x@H2 😀 72==:?8 369:?5]k^Am
kAm~FC :?4@>6D 2=D@ 2C6 DE28?2E:?8]k^Am
kAm#62= >65:2? 9@FD69@=5 :?4@>6 😕 x@H2 C@D6 3J ;FDE c]`T 36EH66? a_`f 2?5 a_ab] %9:D 😀 =6DD E92? 92=7 E96 :?4@>6 82:?D 😕 x==:?@:D[ 2 DE2E6 #6J?@=5D 2?5 @E96C #6AF3=:42?D C68F=2C=J 4C:E:4:K6 2D :?6AE]k^Am
kAmx@H2 ?665D 2 492?86]k^Am
kAm#6J?@=5D 2??@F?465 C646?E=J D96 H@?’E CF? 7@C C6\6=64E:@?[ H9:49 @A6?D E96 5@@C E@ E96 A@DD:3:=:EJ @7 :>AC@G6>6?E]k^Am
kAm%9:D H66<[ s6>@4C2E yF=:6 $E2F49[ 2 (6DE s6D |@:?6D 3FD:?6DDA6CD@?[ 2??@F?465 2 3:5 7@C 96C A2CEJ’D 8F36C?2E@C:2= ?@>:?2E:@?[ H9:49 >62?D E96C6 H:== AC@323=J 36 2 AC:>2CJ] p=C625J[ $E2E6 pF5:E@C #@3 $2?5 92D D2:5 96’D CF??:?8 7@C E96 s6>@4C2E:4 ?@>:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 #6AF3=:42?D H9@ H:== =:<6=J CF?[ E@@]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 :DDF6D E92E H:== A=2J :?E@ E96 a_ae 42>A2:8?[ 3FE E96 72:=FC6 @7 x@H2 #6AF3=:42?D E@ A@D:E:@? E96 DE2E6’D 64@?@>J 7@C DF446DD D9@F=5 36 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 =:DE] %96J’G6 72:=65 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ 8C@H:?8 E96 =23@C 7@C46 WH9:=6 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 E96J 5:D4@FC286 :>>:8C2E:@?[ H9:49 5C:G6D H92E =:EE=6 A@AF=2E:@? 8C@HE9 H6 92G6Xj E96J 92G6 72:=65 E@ 256BF2E6=J 562= H:E9 x@H2’D 49:=542C6 D9@CE286j 2?5 E96J 42?’E 7:8FC6 @FE 9@H E@ 562= H:E9 E96 6I@5FD @7 J@F?8 A6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 7=66:?8 E@ @E96C DE2E6D]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ 92G6 C25:42==J 2=E6C65 @FC E2I DJDE6> E@ D9C:?< :?4@>6 E2I C6G6?F6D[ H9:=6 D9:7E:?8 E96 3FC56? E@ D2=6D 2?5 FD6 E2I6D]k^Am
kAms@6D 2?J3@5J 36=:6G6 E9:D H:== DF3DE2?E:G6=J :>AC@G6 x@H2’D 64@?@>Jn xE 92D?’E D@ 72C]k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6[ #6AF3=:42?D 😕 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 C6H2C5 E96:C A@=:E:42= 2==:6D 2?5 DE@<6 E96 4F=EFC6 H2CD[ 2== E96 H9:=6 DFAA@CE:?8 2 AC6D:56?E 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ H9@ C2:D6D E2I6D H:E9 E2C:77D @? :>A@CED E92E H:== 9:E A@@C 2?5 >:55=6\4=2DD p>6C:42?D E96 92C56DE]k^Am
kAms@6D x@H2 92G6 E96 H@CDE 64@?@>J 😕 E96 ?2E:@?nk^Am
kAmx 5@?’E @H] qFE x 5@?’E E9:?< E92E’D E96 C:89E BF6DE:@?[ 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm%96 C:89E BF6DE:@? :D[ 5@ H6 92G6 E96 A@=:E:42= =6256CD9:A H6 ?665 E@ 562= H:E9 =@?8\DE2?5:?8 64@?@>:4 2?5 56>@8C2A9:4 567:4:ED E92E 2C6 9FCE:?8 E96 x@H2?D H9@ DE2J 2?5 AC@G:5:?8 2>A=6 C62D@? 7@C @FC J@FE9 E@ =62G6n %96 2?DH6C E@ E92E BF6DE:@? 😀 4=62Ci }@[ H6 5@?’E]k^Am
Along the Mississippi is a proud member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Please check out the work of my colleagues and consider subscribing. Also, the collaborative partners with the Iowa Capital Dispatch, which provides hard-hitting news along with selected commentary by members of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Please consider making a donation to support its work, too.
