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Period « Candidate Forums « July 14, 2019 Fifth Annual
Progress Iowa Corn Feed
Fifth Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
Sunday July 14, 2019 at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids, IA.
10 CANDIDATES: Bennet, Buttigieg, Castro, Delaney, Gillibrand, Hickenlooper, Klobuchar, Moulton, Ryan, Williamson.
Background: This event saw a fairly good turnout of candidates, although top candidates Biden, Harris, Sanders and Warren did not participate. Also there were a couple of cancellations: de Blasio was in Iowa but returned to New York City due to a blackout there and Inslee cancelled because of a flight delay. In June Swalwell and Yang had been listed as participants; Swalwell ended his campaign on July 8.
Progress Iowa
July 14, 2019
CONTACT:
Matt Sinovic, Executive Director, Progress Iowa
Lauren McElmeel, Digital Director, Progress Iowa
Today 11 Presidential candidates will join Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, and more than 1,100 pre-registered attendees gathered at the 5th annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids. Lunch will be available from market vendors, and more than 50 organizations and campaigns will participate in this year's activist fair.
WHAT: 5th Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
WHEN: Sunday, July 14th, 12:00 PM (Press Set-Up at 10:30 AM)
WHERE: NewBo City Market, 1100 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
WI-FI & TABLE SPACE: NewBo City Market has free wi-fi available, and a few tables inside the market will be reserved for press.
PARKING: Street parking is available near NewBo City Market, and in parking lots along 2nd Street SE, including lot 44 which is just a few blocks away. (click here for directions)
PRESS GAGGLE: Immediately following each candidate's speech, they will be available for a brief press gaggle inside NewBo City Market, near the Kirkwood Culinary Kitchen.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow @ProgressIowa and use the hashtag #IowaCornFeed when tweeting please!
PROGRESS IOWA CORN FEED - RUN OF SHOW
10:30-11:30 AM
Press Setup Available - Check-In at venue with Lauren McElmeel
12:00 PM
Doors Open for 5th Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
1:00 - 1:25 PM
Pre-Program
Matt Sinovic, Executive Director, Progress Iowa
Brayden Remerowski, to sing America the Beautiful
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer
State Auditor Rob Sand
Isaac Burris, to sing the National Anthem
CANDIDATE SPEAKING SCHEDULE
***Immediately following each candidate's speech, they will be available for a press gaggle inside NewBo City Market, near the Kirkwood Culinary Kitchen***
1:25 PM Former Congressman John Delaney
1:37 PM Senator Amy Klobuchar
1:49 PM Marianne Williamson
2:01 PM Senator Michael Bennet
2:13 PM Congressman Tim Ryan
2:25 PM Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
2:37 PM Congressman Seth Moulton
2:49 PM Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro
3:01 PM Mayor Pete Buttigieg
3:13 PM Governor Jay Inslee
3:25 PM Former Governor John Hickenlooper
3:37 PM Closing
Progress
IowaMatt Sinovic, Executive Director, Progress Iowa
Lauren McElmeel, Digital Director, Progress Iowa
TODAY: 11 Presidential Candidates To Speak At Progress Iowa Corn Feed
More than 1,100
pre-registered for 5th annual event | Mayor Bill de
Blasio returned to New York due to their blackout and will not be
attending today's event
Today 11 Presidential candidates will join Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand, and more than 1,100 pre-registered attendees gathered at the 5th annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids. Lunch will be available from market vendors, and more than 50 organizations and campaigns will participate in this year's activist fair.
WHAT: 5th Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
WHEN: Sunday, July 14th, 12:00 PM (Press Set-Up at 10:30 AM)
WHERE: NewBo City Market, 1100 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
WI-FI & TABLE SPACE: NewBo City Market has free wi-fi available, and a few tables inside the market will be reserved for press.
PARKING: Street parking is available near NewBo City Market, and in parking lots along 2nd Street SE, including lot 44 which is just a few blocks away. (click here for directions)
PRESS GAGGLE: Immediately following each candidate's speech, they will be available for a brief press gaggle inside NewBo City Market, near the Kirkwood Culinary Kitchen.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow @ProgressIowa and use the hashtag #IowaCornFeed when tweeting please!
PROGRESS IOWA CORN FEED - RUN OF SHOW
10:30-11:30 AM
Press Setup Available - Check-In at venue with Lauren McElmeel
12:00 PM
Doors Open for 5th Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
1:00 - 1:25 PM
Pre-Program
Matt Sinovic, Executive Director, Progress Iowa
Brayden Remerowski, to sing America the Beautiful
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer
State Auditor Rob Sand
Isaac Burris, to sing the National Anthem
CANDIDATE SPEAKING SCHEDULE
***Immediately following each candidate's speech, they will be available for a press gaggle inside NewBo City Market, near the Kirkwood Culinary Kitchen***
1:25 PM Former Congressman John Delaney
1:37 PM Senator Amy Klobuchar
1:49 PM Marianne Williamson
2:01 PM Senator Michael Bennet
2:13 PM Congressman Tim Ryan
2:25 PM Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
2:37 PM Congressman Seth Moulton
2:49 PM Former HUD Secretary Julian Castro
3:01 PM Mayor Pete Buttigieg
3:13 PM Governor Jay Inslee
3:25 PM Former Governor John Hickenlooper
3:37 PM Closing
10 Presidential Candidates Confirmed For Progress Iowa Corn Feed
Progress Iowa announced today that Senator Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Congressman Seth Moulton, and Governor John Hickenlooper will attend and speak at the 5th annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed on Sunday, July 14th at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.Those four speakers join fellow Presidential candidates Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representatives Eric Swalwell and Tim Ryan, former Representative John Delaney, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, and author Marianne Williamson.
Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer will deliver welcoming remarks, and Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand will serve as official timekeeper, ‘auditing’ the length of candidate speeches to ensure equal time and an efficient program.
“I’m happy folks are coming here to present their vision for the country,” said Rob Sand, the Iowa state auditor who in 2018 became the first Democrat to beat a statewide incumbent in Iowa in thirty-four years. “But I’m all about efficiency, whether it’s looking out for taxpayer dollars or safeguarding the Sunday afternoon of Iowans. I’ll be on site to keep time and audit these candidates to keep it fair and moving fast.”
This year’s Progress Iowa Corn Feed, called a “can’t-miss” event by CNN, is free to attend with online registration, and organizers expect an enthusiastic crowd of more than one thousand. All Democratic Presidential candidates have been invited to attend and speak, with additional confirmations expected to be announced soon.
Attendees will participate in an activist fair when doors open at 12:00, with informational booths hosted by local organizations, candidates, as well as Presidential campaigns. There will be live music when doors open, as well as family-friendly activities that make the Progress Iowa Corn Feed accessible to all, for a fun-filled afternoon.
Press interested in covering the Progress Iowa Corn Feed must RSVP to press@progressiowa.org in order to receive credentials.
Organizers are expecting more than a thousand to attend this free event, and encouraging participants to sign up early for the required online registration at www.IowaCornFeed.com.
Ed. note-A couple of the candidates sent out prepared remarks and the RPI sent out a release as well.
Seth Moulton for America
July 14, 2019
CONTACT: Matt Corridoni
Moulton Calls Democrats to Task Over Impeachment At Corn Feed
Cedar Rapids, IA - Today, Seth Moulton will use his speech at the Progress Iowa Corn Feed as an opportunity to make a full-throated call for President Tump’s impeachment. Moulton will call on the Democratic Party to choose “courage over convenience” and invoke the president’s racist Tweets from this morning and ICE raids currently happening across the country. Moulton originally voted to move forward with debate on impeachment in December of 2017. His full remarks, as prepared, can be found below:Key Point:
I was planning to come up here and give my traditional stump speech. But today, while Trump’s deportation raids steal people from their homes across the country, and while his words seethe with racist white nationalism, I want to focus on one specific decision facing our party.
Our Democratic Party has always been the party that leads our country forward. From climbing out of the Great Depression to leading us through World War II; to tackling Civil Rights to sending a man to the moon; it has been our party that takes on the toughest challenges; chooses the hard right over the easy wrong.
That chooses courage over convenience.
Whether it’s healthcare, or climate change, or the economy, we fight for what we believe in—not for what the polling tells us.
That is why we MUST begin impeaching Donald Trump.
Remarks As Prepared:
Hello Iowa! It is such an honor to be here with all of you today, and to share the stage with so many other great candidates in this race.
I was planning to come up here and give my traditional stump speech. But today, while Trump’s deportation raids steal people from their homes across the country, and while his words seethe with racist white nationalism, I want to focus on one specific decision facing our party.
Our Democratic Party has always been the party that leads our country forward. From climbing out of the Great Depression to leading us through World War II; to tackling Civil Rights to sending a man to the moon; it has been our party that takes on the toughest challenges; chooses the hard right over the easy wrong.
That chooses courage over convenience.
Whether it’s healthcare, or climate change, or the economy, we fight for what we believe in—not for what the polling tells us.
That is why we MUST begin impeaching Donald Trump.
…
You often hear people say that we need to stand for more as a party than just standing against Trump. And that’s true.
But when it comes to impeachment, standing against Donald Trump is standing for something more--our values and the rule of law.
And, just as importantly, failing to hold him accountable would be a failure of our own--a mistake that could define the history of our party and our country in this moment.
If Trump were a bad president just in traditional ways, we could afford to remove him from office just in traditional ways.
But he’s a criminal and a fraud.
And I understand the politics may be against us, as leaders in our party have well described. I know the polling is against us. I know the Senate may not convict.
But you know what? How about just doing the right thing?
…
Because it’s the right thing to impeach a president who has obstructed justice.
The right thing to impeach a president who faces allegations of sexual assault from nearly 20 women.
The right thing to impeach a president who has used the presidency to enrich himself and is a co-conspirator in multiple federal crimes.
And I could go on, but what’s the point?
We all know these things. Everyone does. And yet, nothing has changed.
Those crimes won’t matter until we make them matter. Laws are meaningless unless they are enforced. And that ball is in our court.
That is why I voted for impeachment a year and a half ago. And that is why we must act, as a party, today.
…
Now I also understand that people are afraid impeachment may backfire—afraid we will lose what we won in 2018 and must win in 2020.
But I think the “political wisdom” against impeachment is wrong.
Just look at our history. When impeachment proceedings started against Richard Nixon, only 19% of Americans believed he should be removed from office.
The numbers are far better today, with 45% of Americans already believing Trump should be impeached.
But the lesson from Nixon is not to follow the polls but to ignore them. To bend them in our favor rather than sitting back and hoping they will swing that way.
Because leaders don’t follow polls. Polls follow leaders.
That’s what Democrats did in 1974.
They showed the public, day after day, hearing after hearing, that the president was a criminal.
A crook.
And by the end of those proceedings, support for impeachment had skyrocketed—and Richard Nixon had resigned rather than let himself be impeached.
We must do the same with impeachment today: show everyone who Donald Trump really is, just in time for them to vote against him in 2020.
…
And if the House sends an impeached president to the Senate, I’m just fine with the American people getting to see Mitch McConnell—who is up for reelection in 2020—covering for a criminal while we stand up for justice. I’ll take that trade any day of the week.
…
There’s a great quote from Atticus Finch that says courage “is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
The point is not whether or not Trump is actually convicted by the Senate, but whether we have the conviction to uphold the law.
I swore an oath as a Member of Congress—not to protect and defend the politics of our party, but the Constitution of our country.
It’s the same oath I swore as a Marine. And there’s no time it’s applied more than now.
It says the president “shall be impeached”—for treason, for bribery, for high crimes and misdemeanors.
It’s not a political question, it’s a moral command.
It’s not a decision, it’s a duty.
It’s our job, and it’s high time we did it.
Let us not become bystanders to our own history, but lead with courage, and do what’s right.
That’s my message to you on this beautiful day in Iowa—because it’s a message we should send to the rest of the country, and to our children in our history books.
We must now come together—as presidential candidates, members of Congress, Democrats, and Americans—to uphold the law, and to impeach the President of the United States.
Thank you, Iowa, and God Bless.
###
Pete
for America
July 14, 2019
“If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists...; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists..., so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there.”
ON OUR VALUES
These heartland values don't have to lead you into the arms of the Republican Party, especially this Republican Party, that claims the mantle of freedom, that talks about national security like they own it. Not anymore. Not the way they've been acting. […]
Freedom is not a conservative value; it is an American value…We're the ones who get that you're not free if you are prevented from organizing into a union to insist on better wages and working conditions. That's why we stand with organized labor.
ON HOW WE WIN
I'm here with a warning, which is that I can also see how he wins again. And it's not about how left or how right we go, ok? If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders, so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there.
But here's what could happen, if we look like our message is nothing but a return to normal, back to normal, and I get the appeal because whatever we've got now is not ok and is not normal-- but here's the thing, and I don't have to tell you this in Iowa coming from the industrial midwest in my own community, normal didn't work. Normal hasn't worked the entire time I've been alive. […]
There is only the future and we can make the future better than the past. But that means bold action.
ON A NEW ERA
The New Deal rested on a better understanding of American freedom than what we're hearing from the other side of the aisle. And then the New Deal came to an end with Ronald Reagan, and the Reagan era began--the neoliberal era in which Democrats and Republicans talked like the only thing you could ever do to a tax, even on the wealthiest, was cut it, and the only thing you'd ever do to a rule holding back to a company from doing something wrong was to remove it. But if the New Deal ended with Reagan, the Reagan era ends with us today. That's why this isn't just about winning an election, this is about winning an era.
ON FAITH
Faith that requires us to welcome the stranger -- and yes, stranger is a synonym for immigrant. So let's let people of faith know that they have a choice, and it doesn't have to lead you to what we've got today. Because what we have right now flies against the basic sense of decency that any secular or religious tradition teaches us about.
Read a full transcript of his remarks below:
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you Iowa. Everybody hydrating? Ok. Just making sure. My mom always said, "if you're thirsty it's too late." Make sure you take care of yourselves. Thank you so much for the chance to be here. Congratulations to Matt and everybody at Progress Iowa for the great work that you're doing. To Bret Nilles, the county chair here, and all of the local Democrats, I promise you that I will stand with folks at every level of the ticket, because we know that things go better when we demonstrate that we realize the presidency's not the only office that matters. We got work to do in local office. We've got work to do in state office. Yes, we've got a lot of work to do send folks like Abby Finkenauer back to Washington, make sure we have the right congressional delegation, and flip that senate seat once and for all.
First time I spoke to a crowd in Iowa was at the Corn Feed a couple years ago. So, it's pretty exciting to be back. I think it's safe to say a few things have changed since then--definitely for me--because we've been traveling the country talking about how America is at the doorstep of a completely new moment in the life of our nation. But that it's not going to go well unless we make it go well, unless we make it go well. We are lucky and unlucky enough to be living in one of those moments that only comes around once or twice in a lifetime. But these moments come along, and they decide how Democrats and Republicans are going to act for the next 30, 40, 50 years. We're in one of those moments right now. That's why, even now, we may well be under-reacting to the seriousness of the moment we live in. But it also means there's tremendous opportunity. The New Deal set the tone for how the next 40 years, 50 years would go. The New Deal rested on a better understanding of American freedom than what we're hearing from the other side of the aisle. And then the New Deal came to an end with Ronald Reagan, and the Reagan era began--the neoliberal era in which Democrats and Republicans talked like the only thing you could ever do to a tax, even on the wealthiest, was cut it, and the only thing you'd ever do to a rule holding back to a company from doing something wrong was to remove it. But if the New Deal ended with Reagan, the Reagan era ends with us today. That's why this isn't just about winning an election, this is about winning an era. And if we want to win the era, we've got to be true to our deepest values. And I know the word values is a word that far too often is associated with the right, but the values we're talking about are not conservative values. They're American values with progressive implications. And now is when we're going to break the spell that has people thinking that values voters only have one way to go, especially the values conservatives talk about most, like freedom.
Freedom is not a conservative value; it is an American value. We're the ones who get that you're not free if you don't have healthcare and that stops you from starting a small business. Healthcare is freedom, and that's why we stand up for healthcare. We're the ones who get that you're not free if you are prevented from organizing into a union to insist on better wages and working conditions. That's why we stand with organized labor. We're the ones who get that you don't have freedom if your reproductive healthcare is being dictated by male politicians and bosses. Reproductive freedom is American freedom. Yes, we are the ones who know that you are not free if a county clerk gets to tell you who you ought to marry -- and by the way, thank you Iowa, for your contributions to marriage equality across the land. And yes, we are the ones who understand that freedom comes by way of education, which is why it's time for a Secretary of Education who believes in public education. And that's the kind of secretary I'll appoint.
These heartland values don't have to lead you into the arms of the Republican Party, especially this Republican Party, that claims the mantle of freedom, that talks about national security like they own it. Not anymore. Not the way they've been acting. We're the ones who get what national security actually requires of us, and it's going to take a lot more than just believing you can solve it by putting up a wall from coast to coast. That's not going to make us secure in the era of cybersecurity threats and election security threats. A wall is not going to protect us from white nationalist violence that's claiming lives here at home and around the world.
And if we want to be serious about national security, then we have to demonstrate that we have the common sense to see to it that the 2nd amendment will not be a death sentence for thousands of Americans. Americans, including Republicans and gun owners, believe we need universal background checks, believe we need red flag laws to disarm domestic abusers. That is absolutely constitutional and it is absolutely the right thing to do. And yes, if we mean business about safety and security in our time, then it's time to confront climate disruption and name it for the national security crisis that it is.
No one is secure or free until everyone is secure or free. And that's why I have proposed that with the same level of ambition we brought to the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Western Europe, we invest in a Douglass Plan to bring about racial equality for Black Americans in our time.
Don't let them tell you that security is a conservative value or freedom is only going to be delivered by Republican policies. And definitely don't let them tell you that people of faith have to vote for people like the president in office right now. Not in our time.
Look, we believe and stand for the idea that anyone running for office and anyone in office ought to equally represent people of any religion and people of no religion, because the separation of church and state is a core American value. It is also the case that for those of us who are guided by faith, faith can point you in a very, very different direction than where the White House is trying to take us today. Faith that commands us to concern ourselves with the wellbeing of the marginalized. Faith that calls us to feed the hungry and to clothe the sick. Faith that requires us to welcome the stranger -- and yes, stranger is a synonym for immigrant. So let's let people of faith know that they have a choice, and it doesn't have to lead you to what we've got today. Because what we have right now flies against the basic sense of decency that any secular or religious tradition teaches us about.The kind of stuff you see coming out of this White House today, telling Americans, the President of the United States telling Americans that they ought to leave this country because they've been in Congress criticizing him.
[inaudible shout from crowd] Very good.
The flag that was on my shoulder when I stepped off the C-17 that got me to Afghanistan was a flag that represented a country that honors those who criticize our leaders and never questions their loyalty to the republic for which it stands. That is a basic American principle and nothing could be more American than standing up for our values.
Now I'm trying to stay ahead of the airhorn, and I want to make sure I don't wax too lyrical before coming to the point that I think is especially important for us to take a moment on today, which is the reality is among the extraordinary, qualified, diverse, talented field of approximately 3,000 Democratic candidates for president who are coming before you in Iowa, we have broad agreement on what we believe in and that's a good thing. So I'd like to turn to another subject which is: "How are we going to win?"
America cannot withstand four more years of this current president. And I'm here with a warning, which is that I can also see how he wins again. And it's not about how left or how right we go, ok? If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders, so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there. But here's what could happen, if we look like our message is nothing but a return to normal, back to normal, and I get the appeal because whatever we've got now is not ok and is not normal-- but here's the thing, and I don't have to tell you this in Iowa coming from the industrial Midwest in my own community, normal didn't work. Normal hasn't worked the entire time I've been alive. And so we cannot promise a return to the '90s or the 2000s any more than the president can keep his promise to the 1950s, and we shouldn't try.
There is only the future, and we can make the future better than the past. But that means bold action. It means something completely different. And I'll leave you with this thought: the American people tend to choose the opposite of whatever they just had. And I would argue it doesn't get more opposite than the current president of the United States than a laid back, intellectual, gay, veteran, millennial mayor from the industrial Midwest. So I hope that I'm your guy. Can I look to you to help us propel a different kind of politics in our time? Are you ready to change the channel off that horror show they've got going on in Washington? Do you not feel just enough hope to bring about a better day? Then I can't wait to be with you every step of the way. I'll see you on the trail, and I can't wait to celebrate with you a new era beginning in the White House. Thank you very much. Thank you Iowa. Thank you.
Republican Party of Iowa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2019
Contact: Aaron Britt
July 14, 2019
VIDEO: Mayor Pete Lays Out a Winning Strategy for Dems at Progress Iowa Corn Feed
“These heartland values don't have to lead you into the arms of the Republican Party, especially this Republican Party, that claims the mantle of freedom, that talks about national security like they own it. Not anymore.”“If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists...; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists..., so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there.”
ON OUR VALUES
These heartland values don't have to lead you into the arms of the Republican Party, especially this Republican Party, that claims the mantle of freedom, that talks about national security like they own it. Not anymore. Not the way they've been acting. […]
Freedom is not a conservative value; it is an American value…We're the ones who get that you're not free if you are prevented from organizing into a union to insist on better wages and working conditions. That's why we stand with organized labor.
ON HOW WE WIN
I'm here with a warning, which is that I can also see how he wins again. And it's not about how left or how right we go, ok? If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders, so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there.
But here's what could happen, if we look like our message is nothing but a return to normal, back to normal, and I get the appeal because whatever we've got now is not ok and is not normal-- but here's the thing, and I don't have to tell you this in Iowa coming from the industrial midwest in my own community, normal didn't work. Normal hasn't worked the entire time I've been alive. […]
There is only the future and we can make the future better than the past. But that means bold action.
ON A NEW ERA
The New Deal rested on a better understanding of American freedom than what we're hearing from the other side of the aisle. And then the New Deal came to an end with Ronald Reagan, and the Reagan era began--the neoliberal era in which Democrats and Republicans talked like the only thing you could ever do to a tax, even on the wealthiest, was cut it, and the only thing you'd ever do to a rule holding back to a company from doing something wrong was to remove it. But if the New Deal ended with Reagan, the Reagan era ends with us today. That's why this isn't just about winning an election, this is about winning an era.
ON FAITH
Faith that requires us to welcome the stranger -- and yes, stranger is a synonym for immigrant. So let's let people of faith know that they have a choice, and it doesn't have to lead you to what we've got today. Because what we have right now flies against the basic sense of decency that any secular or religious tradition teaches us about.
Read a full transcript of his remarks below:
Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you Iowa. Everybody hydrating? Ok. Just making sure. My mom always said, "if you're thirsty it's too late." Make sure you take care of yourselves. Thank you so much for the chance to be here. Congratulations to Matt and everybody at Progress Iowa for the great work that you're doing. To Bret Nilles, the county chair here, and all of the local Democrats, I promise you that I will stand with folks at every level of the ticket, because we know that things go better when we demonstrate that we realize the presidency's not the only office that matters. We got work to do in local office. We've got work to do in state office. Yes, we've got a lot of work to do send folks like Abby Finkenauer back to Washington, make sure we have the right congressional delegation, and flip that senate seat once and for all.
First time I spoke to a crowd in Iowa was at the Corn Feed a couple years ago. So, it's pretty exciting to be back. I think it's safe to say a few things have changed since then--definitely for me--because we've been traveling the country talking about how America is at the doorstep of a completely new moment in the life of our nation. But that it's not going to go well unless we make it go well, unless we make it go well. We are lucky and unlucky enough to be living in one of those moments that only comes around once or twice in a lifetime. But these moments come along, and they decide how Democrats and Republicans are going to act for the next 30, 40, 50 years. We're in one of those moments right now. That's why, even now, we may well be under-reacting to the seriousness of the moment we live in. But it also means there's tremendous opportunity. The New Deal set the tone for how the next 40 years, 50 years would go. The New Deal rested on a better understanding of American freedom than what we're hearing from the other side of the aisle. And then the New Deal came to an end with Ronald Reagan, and the Reagan era began--the neoliberal era in which Democrats and Republicans talked like the only thing you could ever do to a tax, even on the wealthiest, was cut it, and the only thing you'd ever do to a rule holding back to a company from doing something wrong was to remove it. But if the New Deal ended with Reagan, the Reagan era ends with us today. That's why this isn't just about winning an election, this is about winning an era. And if we want to win the era, we've got to be true to our deepest values. And I know the word values is a word that far too often is associated with the right, but the values we're talking about are not conservative values. They're American values with progressive implications. And now is when we're going to break the spell that has people thinking that values voters only have one way to go, especially the values conservatives talk about most, like freedom.
Freedom is not a conservative value; it is an American value. We're the ones who get that you're not free if you don't have healthcare and that stops you from starting a small business. Healthcare is freedom, and that's why we stand up for healthcare. We're the ones who get that you're not free if you are prevented from organizing into a union to insist on better wages and working conditions. That's why we stand with organized labor. We're the ones who get that you don't have freedom if your reproductive healthcare is being dictated by male politicians and bosses. Reproductive freedom is American freedom. Yes, we are the ones who know that you are not free if a county clerk gets to tell you who you ought to marry -- and by the way, thank you Iowa, for your contributions to marriage equality across the land. And yes, we are the ones who understand that freedom comes by way of education, which is why it's time for a Secretary of Education who believes in public education. And that's the kind of secretary I'll appoint.
These heartland values don't have to lead you into the arms of the Republican Party, especially this Republican Party, that claims the mantle of freedom, that talks about national security like they own it. Not anymore. Not the way they've been acting. We're the ones who get what national security actually requires of us, and it's going to take a lot more than just believing you can solve it by putting up a wall from coast to coast. That's not going to make us secure in the era of cybersecurity threats and election security threats. A wall is not going to protect us from white nationalist violence that's claiming lives here at home and around the world.
And if we want to be serious about national security, then we have to demonstrate that we have the common sense to see to it that the 2nd amendment will not be a death sentence for thousands of Americans. Americans, including Republicans and gun owners, believe we need universal background checks, believe we need red flag laws to disarm domestic abusers. That is absolutely constitutional and it is absolutely the right thing to do. And yes, if we mean business about safety and security in our time, then it's time to confront climate disruption and name it for the national security crisis that it is.
No one is secure or free until everyone is secure or free. And that's why I have proposed that with the same level of ambition we brought to the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Western Europe, we invest in a Douglass Plan to bring about racial equality for Black Americans in our time.
Don't let them tell you that security is a conservative value or freedom is only going to be delivered by Republican policies. And definitely don't let them tell you that people of faith have to vote for people like the president in office right now. Not in our time.
Look, we believe and stand for the idea that anyone running for office and anyone in office ought to equally represent people of any religion and people of no religion, because the separation of church and state is a core American value. It is also the case that for those of us who are guided by faith, faith can point you in a very, very different direction than where the White House is trying to take us today. Faith that commands us to concern ourselves with the wellbeing of the marginalized. Faith that calls us to feed the hungry and to clothe the sick. Faith that requires us to welcome the stranger -- and yes, stranger is a synonym for immigrant. So let's let people of faith know that they have a choice, and it doesn't have to lead you to what we've got today. Because what we have right now flies against the basic sense of decency that any secular or religious tradition teaches us about.The kind of stuff you see coming out of this White House today, telling Americans, the President of the United States telling Americans that they ought to leave this country because they've been in Congress criticizing him.
[inaudible shout from crowd] Very good.
The flag that was on my shoulder when I stepped off the C-17 that got me to Afghanistan was a flag that represented a country that honors those who criticize our leaders and never questions their loyalty to the republic for which it stands. That is a basic American principle and nothing could be more American than standing up for our values.
Now I'm trying to stay ahead of the airhorn, and I want to make sure I don't wax too lyrical before coming to the point that I think is especially important for us to take a moment on today, which is the reality is among the extraordinary, qualified, diverse, talented field of approximately 3,000 Democratic candidates for president who are coming before you in Iowa, we have broad agreement on what we believe in and that's a good thing. So I'd like to turn to another subject which is: "How are we going to win?"
America cannot withstand four more years of this current president. And I'm here with a warning, which is that I can also see how he wins again. And it's not about how left or how right we go, ok? If we embrace a left wing agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders; if we adopt a conservative agenda, the president is going to say we're socialists and we're for open borders, so we might as well just stand up for what we believe in and take it from there. But here's what could happen, if we look like our message is nothing but a return to normal, back to normal, and I get the appeal because whatever we've got now is not ok and is not normal-- but here's the thing, and I don't have to tell you this in Iowa coming from the industrial Midwest in my own community, normal didn't work. Normal hasn't worked the entire time I've been alive. And so we cannot promise a return to the '90s or the 2000s any more than the president can keep his promise to the 1950s, and we shouldn't try.
There is only the future, and we can make the future better than the past. But that means bold action. It means something completely different. And I'll leave you with this thought: the American people tend to choose the opposite of whatever they just had. And I would argue it doesn't get more opposite than the current president of the United States than a laid back, intellectual, gay, veteran, millennial mayor from the industrial Midwest. So I hope that I'm your guy. Can I look to you to help us propel a different kind of politics in our time? Are you ready to change the channel off that horror show they've got going on in Washington? Do you not feel just enough hope to bring about a better day? Then I can't wait to be with you every step of the way. I'll see you on the trail, and I can't wait to celebrate with you a new era beginning in the White House. Thank you very much. Thank you Iowa. Thank you.
Republican Party of Iowa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2019
Contact: Aaron Britt
2020 Democrats will Lend Their Ears at Today’s Corn Feed, but They Won’t Offer a Kernel of Truth
CEDAR RAPIDS -- Several 2020 Democrats will attend Progress Iowa’s Corn Feed this afternoon, giving them an opportunity to see the positive impact crop farmers have on Iowa’s economy. Unfortunately, candidates will be focused on buttering up caucus-goers, hiding their real agenda that would make corn growers say “Shucks!”- In
2017, Iowa exported
more than $1.6
billion worth of corn. That’s a whole lot of yellow!
- The USMCA would foster prosperous relationships with Mexico and Canada & benefit Iowa corn growers, yet Democrats continue stalling and refuse to ratify this historic trade deal.
- Last
year, Iowa produced 2.5
billion
bushels of corn -- 62% of
this
supply
was
used
to
make
ethanol.
- While the Trump Administration immediately secured E-15 year-round & lifted a ban on summer sales for higher ethanol blends, the Obama-Biden Administration didn’t accomplish this after eight years of being in office.
- In fact, Biden was “instrumental in orchestrating” blending cuts and pushed to slash the amount of corn-based ethanol refiners must blend.
###
Progress Iowa
April 29th, 2019
Sweet Corn, Popcorn, and Holiday Cheer: Progress Iowa Announces 2019 Events
Progress Iowa Corn Feed to take place at NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids as a free event featuring Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and Presidential candidatesA new progressive
film festival and follow up to last year’s hit musical round out the
year’s events
A film festival, a musical, and Iowa sweet corn: what more could Iowans and Presidential candidates want from their political events? Progress Iowa announced their lineup of events today for 2019, and it includes a unique and accessible approach for candidates and progressive activists to engage and organize in the year before the Presidential election.
Progress Iowa’s annual Corn Feed and Holiday Party, both described as “can’t-miss” events by CNN, will take place on July 14th and December 19th, respectively. The organization will invite all candidates running for the Democratic nomination for President to speak at both. In addition to welcoming remarks from Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and speeches from Presidential candidates, the Progress Iowa Corn Feed will feature games, organizational booths, live music, and more. This year’s Corn Feed is moving to Cedar Rapids, taking place at NewBo City Market, and will be free to attend, with required online registration and lunch available for purchase.
“I’m excited to have the Progress Iowa Corn Feed come to NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids,” said local activist Cindy Garlock. “Not only will we get to hear from national and local leaders, but this is a great way to get involved with grassroots activism. I’m looking forward to meeting people from across the state who can help us spread the message as we prepare for 2020.”
The Progress Iowa Holiday Party in December will also be held in a new venue for the organization, at Hoyt Sherman Place, and will feature live entertainment, a live auction, and even audience-led caroling. Presidential candidates will also be invited to speak, and general admission tickets for the holiday party will be just fourteen dollars.
“Political events should be meaningful and impactful, but they also can be a lot of fun,” said Matt Sinovic, executive director of Progress Iowa. “And we want to reach beyond just the usual attendees and typical events. Our events will dive deeper on the issues, and with our musical and film festival, our hope is to bring out the best of our state’s artists, performers, and filmmakers, all while putting a priority on accessibility. No one should have to spend an arm and a leg to join the fun.”
Progress Iowa has announced at least one major event per month throughout 2019. On June 12th, they will partner with Guns Down America, to host a town hall discussion about gun safety in Iowa City. Igor Volsky, the founder of Guns Down America, is holding similar events as part of a nationwide tour in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the tragic school shooting at Columbine.
“I’m thrilled to talk with Iowans about what we can do together to build a future with fewer guns and push our leaders to embrace proven solutions that will help save thousands of American lives,” said Igor Volsky, founder of Guns Down America.
In August, Progress Iowa will put on a follow up to the twice sold-out musical adaptation of Hamilton that was reviewed as “smart and savvy.” Producers Madison Ray and Rae Fehring will return to lead this year’s production, The Sound of Progress, which will feature music from a variety of sources, all adapted in order to inspire Iowans to get engaged in the political process.
“How exciting that Iowa has the attention of the nation right now,” said Madison Ray, a Cloris Award nominated actor and recording artist who will co-produce the performances of The Sound of Progress. “I’d like to think that we can really make some noise so the whole country can hear the sound of progress.”
The First in the Nation Film Festival will call for submissions from Iowa filmmakers, to focus on a progressive issue as it relates to Iowa. A prominent group of politically active screenwriters, Writers Action, will partner with Progress Iowa on the festival, and cash prizes will be given to the winning filmmakers, along with the films being screened at the festival, to take place on October 16th at Fleur Cinema in Des Moines.
Over the past seven years, Progress Iowa has grown from less than 2 dozen members to a community of more than 75,000 progressives, the largest online organization in the state. The organization works closely with local progressive groups across a spectrum of issues, and reaches millions each year with creative social and earned media tactics. More information for each event can be found below or by visiting Progress Iowa’s website.
PROGRESS IOWA 2019 EVENTS
Guns Down America Town Hall
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12th, 7:00 PM
WHERE: Prairie Lights Bookstore, Iowa City, Iowa
DETAILS: Igor Volsky, founder of Guns Down America, will join Iowans for a discussion about how we can fight back and end the epidemic of gun violence.
COST: Free to attend, online registration required. Click here to RSVP
5th Annual Progress Iowa Corn Feed
WHEN: Sunday, July 14th, 12-4 PM
WHERE: NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
DETAILS: A free event for the public to meet and hear from Presidential candidates, with an anticipated crowd reaching into the thousands. Live music, local food vendors, and organizing opportunities for Iowa’s progressive community highlight this festive, family-friendly event.
SPEAKERS: All candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination will be invited and given equal time to speak
COST: Free to attend, with lunch tickets available for purchase. VIP tickets and vendor booths available as well. Sign up to learn when registration & tickets become available
The Sound of Progress Musical
WHEN: Thursday, August 8th at 7:00 PM & Sunday, August 11th at 3:00 PM
WHERE: Stoner Theater, Des Moines, Iowa
DETAILS: Madison Ray & Rae Fehring will produce a musical featuring adaptations of theater favorites in order to highlight progressive issues and encourage Iowans to take action. Last year our production of Reynolds Pamphlet sold out multiple shows, and we are thrilled to be bringing back the same team, and to be working with Des Moines Performing Arts!
COST: $30 for each general admission ticket, sponsorships available. Sign up to learn when tickets go on sale
First in the Nation Film Festival
WHEN: Wednesday evening, October 16th (exact time TBD)
WHERE: Fleur Cinema, Des Moines, Iowa
DETAILS: Held in partnership with Writers Action, this will be a first of its kind film festival in Iowa open to submissions from Iowa filmmakers. Short films of all genres will be included, as long as they fit a running time of no more than 15 minutes, and focus on a progressive issue related to Iowa. Winners will receive cash prizes and have their films screened at a showing on October 16th in Des Moines.
COST: $5 entry fee for each film submission, $11 to attend the First in the Nation Film Festival. Sign up to learn when film submissions will be accepted and tickets go on sale
7th Annual Progress Iowa Holiday Party
WHEN: Thursday, December 19th, 7:00 PM (VIP Reception at 5:30)
WHERE: Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines, Iowa
DETAILS: At Progress Iowa’s longest running event, attendees will enjoy live entertainment, remarks from candidates, a live auction, audience-led caroling, and holiday cheer!
SPEAKERS: All candidates for the Democratic Presidential nomination will be invited and given equal time to speakCOST: $14 for general admission tickets, VIP tickets and sponsorship opportunities available. Sign up to learn when tickets go on sale
Copyright © 2019 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
Action.
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