Canoodling In Iowa-- Another Special Election Comin' Up

Bill Dix (55 years old) was first elected to the Iowa House in 1996, In 2010 he was elected to the state Senate and was reelected in 2014 with no opposition. Until yesterday Dix was the Republican Majority Leader. A couple hours after a month-old video of him making out-- or as the NY Post put it, canoodling in a Des Moines bar-- he announced his retirement. He resigned as Leader and as a senator, effective immediately.

Dix is married and has 3 kids. The lobbyist is a woman. Her job is to influence legislators on matters of policy and Dix, as Majority Leader, was deciding what bills get debated and voted and what bills get buried.

His seat is for Senate District 25 which covers Butler, Grundy, Hardin, and Story counties right in the center of the state. Butler, Grundy and Hardin are red districts and Story, just north of Des Moines, votes Democratic. Last year Trump beat Hillary districtwide and she did poorly relative to other Democrats in all 4 counties:

• Butler-- Trumpanzee- 66%; Hillary- 29%
• Grundy-- Trumpanzee- 66.7%; Hillary- 27.3%
• Hardin-- Trumpanzee- 62.1%; Hillary- 32.9%
• Story-- 51.3%; Trumpanzee 39.1%

In the caucuses, though, Bernie beat Trump in all 4 counties. People wanted change, not more of the same status quo that has served them badly.

• Butler-- Bernie- 350; Trumpanzee- 220
• Grundy-- Bernie- 206; Trumpanzee- 198
• Hardin-- Bernie- 296; Trumpanzee- 295
• Story-- Bernie- 3,737; Trumpanzee- 1,152

When the Republicans won the state Senate in 2016, Dix became Majority Leader and, according to the Des Moines Register, led "a tidal wave of conservative legislation in the 2017 session that included dramatically limiting the state’s collective bargaining laws for public employees, restricting abortions, expanding the rights of gun owners, and pro-business policy measures that nullified minimum-wage increases for workers in five Iowa counties, limited medical malpractice lawsuits; limited nuisance lawsuits against livestock operators; and cut workers' compensation benefits. Dix returned in the 2018 session with a promise to write “Chapter 2” of the Republican agenda. That agenda has included passage of a Senate bill that would require steep cuts  in state taxes that would total $1.2 billion annually when fully enacted."

I read every story about this story-- both in Iowa and nationally. Not one brought up who the lobbyist is (Lindsey McCune) and who she worked for (the Iowa League) and what companies or entities she was kissing this freak for. Isn't that the real story here... beyond the reality show gossip? Which companies were paying her and what legislation was he monkeying with so he could monkey with her? Austin Frerick, the Blue America-endorsed candidate for the Dees-Moines area congressional seat said, "Another day, another Republican hypocrite. I look forward to keeping this blue wave going in Iowa by helping my friend Tracy Freese win that special election." Looks like Freese will have to get new t-shirts made though. And the special election will be next month.