'We all are going to die, for heaven sakes'
Plus, the disappearing male worker
Tough to have certainty in uncertain times, eh? There is plenty of it right now. A trade war will do thar.
From time to time, I check in with Joe Murphy for a status check. I have known Joe for a while now in various roles.
He knows the Regents after working for both Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa.
His time with the Greater Des Moines Partnership gave him insight into Iowa and D.C. politics.
And he and his wife, Amy, are personally committed to numerous efforts to promote the health and development of children.
(Joe Murphy. Photo courtesy: Iowa Business Council.)
But I wanted his insights based on his current role as executive director of the Iowa Business Council. His organization represents many of the biggest companies in the state and checks in on their confidence levels when it comes to sales, hiring, and other measurables.
Trump’s Trade War
Imagine sitting in the corner office of those companies right now as these business leaders try to figure out the country’s global trade policies that can change with a tweet at any hour of the day. What will it mean for their production costs, sales, exports, and workforce?
Missing Men
I wanted Joe on “Inside Iowa Politics” to talk about how these executives search for certainty in these uncertain times. But Joe also talked about what has been a mystery for some of these executives: why have some men disappeared from the workforce and why is that so concerning for the future?
No Announcement
There were some people who thought U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra, the Republican from northwest Iowa, would use his annual family picnic to make official what he has been working on for the past six weeks or so: launching his campaign for governor.
I made the 7.5 hour round trip to Sioux Center Friday to check it out. My view was the same after the event that it had been before the event. Feenstra will run for governor, but he isn’t ready to officially declare that yet. He has declared that he has raised more than $3 million for the future campaign, though.
There was one other thing that I noticed: Feenstra seems focused on convincing people (Donald Trump?) that he supports President Donald Trump.
Here’s the TV story I did that explains what I mean (P.S., sorry about my voice in the story. I’m still trying to get over this annoying cold that has lingered for a week!)
Picnic Guest
One of the guests at Feenstra’s picnic may not have just been there for the grilled pork burgers. State Representative Matt Windschitl of Missouri Valley, who serves as Republicans’ majority leader, is among those interested in running for Feenstra’s 4th District congressional seat. Might be challenging for him to continue in that house leadership role next year while also running for Congress.
The Town Hall
I wonder what U.S. Senator Joni Ernst was thinking once she had some time to reflect on the day. The crowd was hostile early Friday morning in Parkersburg, Iowa. Some were yelling at her and expressed their fears that Americans will suffer because of what Congressional Republicans are trying to do with their “Big Beautiful Bill.”
Ernst responded to one of them. The video of her response has been shared all over the place. Does she wish that she would have handled this differently?
(Photo courtesy: U.S. Senator Joni Ernst official photo.)
“We are all going to die, for heaven sakes.”
Paid subscribers can read below why Ernst may not regret her reaction, despite the criticism that she has received.
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