A Democrat in Name Only

Photographs by KC McGinnis Somewhere along the county road between Independence and Manchester, I lost Rob Sand. This had been a distinct possibility when I agreed to join the 44-year-old Democratic candidate for governor on a segment of a weeklong bike ride across Iowa. Unlike Sand, I am not a biker—merely a leisurely walker and, like any good Millennial woman, an occasional Pilates-doer. Which is why, on a long, low-grade hill dotted with Queen Anne’s lace, my quads began to burn, my pace slowed, and the subject of my story…

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Only One Republican Is Holding This Many Town Halls

Even as most congressional Republicans are avoiding their constituents, one has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to engaging with voters in the flesh: 61-year-old Mark Alford of Missouri held not one but 15 public events across his district this week, including five town halls. The second-term lawmaker is not an otherwise noteworthy member of Congress. He represents a safe Republican district, and has voted along party lines 89 percent of the time, according to Heritage Action. But in a moment when so few Republicans are making an effort to hear from…

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The Smithsonian Institution Audit Is Only the Start

The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents may have to get used to meetings where accountability is expected. At this week’s much-anticipated one, members yielded to President Donald Trump’s demand for an audit of politicized content. Alas, they also circled the wagons around Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie Bunch. The Wall Street Journal reports that, according to a document that summarized the secretive meeting held Monday, the board acceded to demands by Vice President JD Vance and Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., to hold a thorough review of content at the complex’s 21 museums. The board…

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The so-called budget is only the start of a lot of hard work

The top-line budget agreement Congress worked out last weekend doesn’t mean the work is done. Members still have to work out the agency-by-agency allocations and whatever policy riders each side can stomach. David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to give the industry view. Interview transcript: Tom Temin: And this is really going much further than the NDAA with its Title 800 procurement reforms year after year. This is kind of a big, important bill, isn’t it, David? David Berteau: It’s…

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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: Third-Party Votes Only Help Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, MoveOn Political Action highlights opinion pieces from across the country highlighting the dangers of third-party candidates and encouraging voters to support Kamala Harris. The leaders lay out the risks that any vote for Jill Stein or another third-party candidate could pave the way for Donald Trump and his MAGA allies to enact their dangerous Project 2025 plan. In 2016, Stein’s vote totals in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin alone were enough to sink Hillary Clinton’s campaign. We cannot allow that to happen again. Read more below:  Butch…

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MoveOn Statement on New No Labels Super PAC That Will Only Lead to Trump Back In White House

Washington, D.C. – Following the news that a super PAC has been launched to back the eventual No Labels candidates – which new reporting has revealed may be a so-called all-Republican “unity ticket” – MoveOn Political Action Executive Director Rahna Epting released the following statement: “No one should be surprised that Republican strategists are creating another revenue stream to line their pockets and funnel millions of dollars towards No Labels’ dangerous operation that will only lead to Donald Trump back in the White House. Voters deserve to know who is behind this effort and where every…

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