A Tumor

I have thought a lot this weekend about Jack Whitver. He is 43, a former Iowa State University football standout, the top Iowa senate Republican and a potential gubernatorial candidate one day. Jack is also a husband and father of two daughters and a son.

Jack was not himself during the end of the legislative session in April. His right side seemed physically troubled. Some senate colleagues knew that he was dealing with a health challenge.

(Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver. Photo courtesy: Jack Whitver.)

Iowans now know that he is battling a brain tumor. Friday, he announced via emailed statement that is undergoing radiation. That makes Jack one of the nearly one million Americans living with a brain tumor, according to the National Brain Tumor Association.

Nearly three in ten of them have a tumor that is cancerous. Jack didn’t disclose the type of tumor that he has.

I am also thinking about Alice Stewart. Covering the Iowa Caucuses means the chance to meet scores of thoughtful and talented people…people like Alice.

Alice was a former television journalist. She worked on four Republican presidential campaigns: Mike Huckabee in 2008 (he won the caucus), Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum in 2012 (he won the caucus) and Ted Cruz in 2016 (he won the caucus).

I interviewed Alice about the 2012 caucus campaign for my first book, “Caucus Chaos.”

She was gracious with her time, friendly and insightful.

Alice was only 58 when she died this weekend. She had served as a podcast host and CNN contributor. 58 years old is way too young, especially for a woman devoted to her physical well-being as a long-distance runner.

We pray for Alice’s friends and family as they grieve her unexpected passing. We pray for Jack and his family as they endure his health journey.

TV Talk — In my “Inside Iowa Politics” digital TV show this week, I talked with Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra about why he stands behind Israel, even as tens of thousands of civilians have died as forces try to hunt down Hamas terrorists.

We also talk about morality as he responds to colleagues accused of bribery, corruption and trying to hide their adultery. Watch that conversation here.

A life on and about water — I met a man named Clay Landry this week. Water is his life. It’s the source of his recreation. And it’s the focus of his professional life.

Water scarcity and weather disruptions bring challenges. But he wants more focus on opportunities that can take place by overcoming challenges. He has some ideas. In this conversation Landry explains why he has made water the focus of his life.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. And thanks for caring about our future.

I write this column as part of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Follow this link to learn more about the columnists and support their work.