Category: Politics

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Branstad today appointed Christopher McDonald judge to the District Court in the 5C Judicial District. Currently McDonald, of Des Moines, is senior counsel to Aviva USA. Prior to

By James Rosen, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — A vote Wednesday in the House of Representatives to pour billions into a little-known federal bank illustrates the divide among “tea party’’-backed lawmakers torn

(CEDAR RAPIDS) – Gov. Terry Branstad today released the following statement upon learning of the passing of Flight 232 pilot Dennis E. Fitch: “The crash of Flight 232 was an exercise in

By David Lauter, Tribune Washington Bureau – MADISON, Wis. — When Tim Cullen returned to the Wisconsin state Senate after an absence of 24 years, he might have been an ideal bridge between

By David Lightman, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — The political world absorbed a chilling message Wednesday from the fall of Washington icon Sen. Richard Lugar: Rabid partisanship is popular, especially in Republican primaries,

WASHINGTON, DC—On May 16, President Barack Obama will award Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., U.S. Army, the Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry. Specialist Sabo will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously

As a friend and former colleague, I want to express my deep appreciation for Dick Lugar’s distinguished service in the United States Senate.  While Dick and I didn’t always agree on everything,

By Erika Bolstad, McClatchy Newspapers – WASHINGTON — It was supposed to be introducing the team whose savvy grass-roots work will sway Hispanic voters to the Republican Party in six very different

By Lisa Mascaro, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — The political battle over President Barack Obama’s plan to keep student loan interest rates from skyrocketing escalated as Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic

By Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times – LANSING, Mich. — Mitt Romney is making a play for his native Michigan, which last voted for a Republican for president nearly a quarter of

Prepared Statement of Senator Chuck Grassley Ranking Member, Senate Committee on the Judiciary On the Nominations of Jacqueline Nguyen, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Kristine Gerhard Baker,

By Jeremy Roebuck, The Philadelphia Inquirer – PHILADELPHIA — The super PAC supporting Mitt Romney’s presidential bid has accepted more than $1.2 million from federal government contractors, in apparent defiance of campaign-finance regulators.

Kim Geiger, Los Angeles Times – WASHINGTON — Intent on taking his presidential campaign all the way to the GOP convention this summer, Texas Rep. Ron Paul has mounted an offensive in key caucus states, swiping would-be

By Kim Geiger, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — With six months until Election Day, the race between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney has tightened into a statistical dead heat. Two

By Christi Parsons, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden gave a nod to the same-sex marriage movement Sunday by saying he is comfortable with the idea of “men

On Friday, the President traveled to Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, to speak with students and their parents about the need to prevent interest rates on federal subsidized student loans from

By Carolyn Click, McClatchy Newspapers – COLUMBIA, S.C. — Former President Bill Clinton urged Columbia College graduates Saturday to find work they love and develop “creative cooperation” to resolve pressing problems and create

By Matea Gold, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Anxiety about the effect of a ban on political spending by federal contractors is prompting new caution by a company connected to such donations

By Matea Gold, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — Anxiety about the effect of a ban on political spending by federal contractors is prompting new caution by a company connected to such donations

Seema Mehta and Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times – PITTSBURGH — Rick Santorum dropped his presidential bid nearly a month ago, so his meeting here Friday with presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney would have seemed like the perfect opportunity

By Lesley Clark, McClatchy Newspapers – COLUMBUS, Ohio — President Barack Obama officially kicked off his re-election campaign in Columbus, Ohio, Saturday with a rousing rally for an arena crowd, looking to recapture

By Daniela Altimari, The Hartford Courant – HARTFORD, Conn.—The Connecticut Senate was locked in a marathon debate late Friday on a bill to legalize and regulate the medical use of marijuana. Although lawmakers

By Mark Magnier, Los Angeles Times – NEW DELHI — Hopes were high after Congress passed a U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement in 2008 that the two countries would forge a close military and

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times – HOUSTON — A panel of federal appeals court judges ruled Friday that Texas cannot ban Planned Parenthood from receiving state money while a federal lawsuit over

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and UNI President Ben Allen are pleased to announce the selection of six regional network hubs that will promote science, technology, engineering

By Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times – WASHINGTON — At a time when his campaign is working to attract reluctant conservatives, Mitt Romney won the backing Thursday of one-time rival Michele Bachmann, who

By Kim Geiger, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — It’s been more than 50 years since a candidate has won the White House without carrying at least two of the three swing states

Chicago Tribune – CHICAGO — Sen. Mark Kirk has been released from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where he had been recovering from a stroke, according to a statement from his family.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration has granted the Des Moines International Airport $450,000 to rehabilitate a portion of the

By Seema Mehta and Maeve Reston, Los Angeles Times – PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — When Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire joined Mitt Romney for a tour of fishing boats this week, she was

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Branstad today announced that Robert S. von Wolffradt has been appointed to serve as the state of Iowa’s Chief Information Officer. Wolffradt, 55, was most recently the Chief

By Melanie Mason and Matea Gold, Tribune Washington Bureau – WASHINGTON — A hard-hitting commercial blasting President Barack Obama’s stimulus spending as a “failure” flooded television sets last week in eight swing states

Rod Boshart, CR Gazette – An effort by a dozen GOP senators to ban traffic enforcement cameras come July 1 got pulled to the side of the road by the Iowa Senate’s

By Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times – NEW YORK — Mitt Romney marked the anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death Tuesday by alternately praising President Barack Obama for ordering the targeted killing of

By Marc Caputo and Patricia Mazzei, McClatchy Newspapers – MIAMI — Florida Gov. Rick Scott began Tuesday morning as the darling of Miami’s Cuban exile community, but by day’s end he was being

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad today released the following statement in response to FEMA’s decision to award more than $6.7 million in disaster relief funding for Hancher Auditorium and Art

(DES MOINES) – Governor Terry E. Branstad will lead a trade mission to Brazil and Chile July 21-28, with the aim to expand trade opportunities for Iowa companies and products. The Iowa