(Radio Iowa) – Texas Senator Ted Cruz, the winner of the 2016 Iowa Caucuses, says Iowa’s congressional races will help determine if Republican regain the majority in the U.S. House in 2022 and he headlined a fundraiser for Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion this weekend. Cruz said pandemic-related closures of businesses and schools were madness and he railed against the tax and spending plans Democrats have developed. “The Democrats — Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi — have gone bat crap crazy,” Cruz said, to laughter and applause.

But his fiercest criticism was of President Biden’s decisions on Afghanistan. “The past two weeks have been incredibly painful for every American as we watch the catastrophe unfolding in Afghanistan….as we see Joe Biden afraid to stand up to terrorists,” Cruz said.

About half the crowd listening to Cruz in Central City on Saturday stood for his entire speech. Cruz told them they were part of a tidal wave ticked off Americans. “The road to revival comes through Iowa and the road to bringing America comes through the great state of Iowa,” Cruz said, to cheers. Cruz has said he enjoyed running for president in 2016 and he said during an interview with Newsmax he’s looking at running in 2024. Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says he has a strong feeling Cruz is “all in” on keeping Iowa’s Caucuses first in 2024, but Cruz didn’t bring the subject up or make a direct reference to his 2016 win here.

FLORIDA Senator Marco Rubio, the third place finisher in Iowa’s 2016 Caucuses, will headline an Iowa G-O-P fundraiser tonight (Monday) in Clear Lake.

The Creston Police Department has released a report on recent arrests. Today (Monday), at around 12:50-a.m., Officers arrested 37-year-old Alexander King, of Creston, on charges of Driving While Revoked, Operating Vehicle without Interlock Device, and Failure to have SR-22 insurance on file. King was being held in the Union County Jail on $1,600 bond. There were three arrests in Creston, Sunday:

• 24-year-old Alexander Dunker, of Aberdeen SD, was arrested at around 2:12-a.m., for Public Intoxication. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.
• At around 9:10-p.m., Sunday, 34-year-old Anthony Atkins, of Creston, was arrested on a Polk County Warrant for the charge of Failure to Appear on the original charge of Attempted Burglary 3rd. He was being held in the Union County Jail awaiting transfer to Polk County.
• And, 39-year-old Charles Keeton, of Creston, was arrested at around 10:30-a.m. Sunday, with the assistance of Creston Police K9 Baxo, on the charge of Possession of Paraphernalia. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

Two people were arrested Saturday, in Creston:

• At around 1:55-a.m., 63-year-old Barbara Blair, of De Soto, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense. She was released from the Adams County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
• And, a little before Noon, Saturday, Creston Police arrested 50-year-old Martin Grace, of Corning. He was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Taylor County Warrant for the charges of 2 counts Controlled Substance Violation. Grace was subsequently was transferred to the custody of Taylor County.

There were three arrests last Friday, in Creston: 29-year-old Dalton Cormeny, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on 2 Union County Warrants for the charges of 1) Failure to Appear on the original charges of Driving While Barred and 2 Counts Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd offense. 2) Failure to Appear on the original charge of Interference with Official Acts. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $5,000 bond; 46-year old Brian Rosch, of Villisca, was arrested a little after 10-p.m. Friday, in Creston, for Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $600 bond; And, 18-year-old Emme Eblen, of Creston, was arrested at around 10:32-p.m. with the assistance of Creston Police K9 Baxo. She was taken into custody on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st Offense and Possession of Paraphernalia. Eblen was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Bernie Sanders — the U.S. Senate Budget Committee chairman — is visiting states like Iowa with Republican dominated congressional delegations to tout the three-and-a-half TRILLION dollar federal spending plan he’s helped craft. “This is the moment that tests our mettle. Do we stand and fight?” Sanders asked the crowd. “We will and we’re going to prevail.”
Sanders spoke Sunday afternoon in downtown Cedar Rapids. Sanders says the bill offers solutions to a range of problems like climate change as well as a lack of child care and affordable housing. He describes it as the most significant piece of legislation since the so-called New Deal of the 1930s.

“So many good people are struggling economically to provide for their families and when half of our people are living paycheck to paycheck, we can do better than that,” Sanders said, to cheers.

Bernie Sanders. (Photo from Sanders’ Twitter feed.)

Sanders also cites the bill’s proposed expansion of Medicare to cover dental visits, hearing aids and eye glasses. Sanders says all these items are within reach if the country’s wealthiest citizens pay their fair share in taxes. Republicans say Iowans won’t be distracted by the Democrats’ spending agenda when American lives are in danger in Afghanistan.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson kicked off her bid for a second term in the U-S House with a fundraising rally this weekend. Hinson played the violin as the crowd gathered on the Linn County Fairgrounds sang the National Anthem. The crowd was enthusiastic about Hinson and angry about President Biden’s decision-making on Afghanistan. Some people in the crowd shouted things like “traitor” and “impeach him.” “I don’t know about you, but it made my blood boil. Did they have a plan?” Hinson asked the crowd, who responded: “No!” Hinson touted Republican prospects in 2022. “Are we ready to get this done? Yes? Are you with me?” Hinson said, to cheers. “Awesome! I am going to fight like hell to make sure we take back the House and fire Nancy Pelosi.”

Hinson’s House colleague Randy Feenstra of Hull, Iowa’s fourth district congressman, outlined a similar roadmap. “Fighting against the Pelosi Liberal Progressive Regime every single day,” Feenstra said, to cheers. “Absolutely, yep!” Second district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa spent her brief turn on stage focused on Afghanistan. “Capitulation to terrorists does not work!” Miller-Meeks said. Governor Kim Reynolds accused Biden and Democrats in congress of engaging in a horrible experiment. “Are we ready to go to the mat to protect this country?” Reynolds asked. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the closer of the event. “We should not abandon a single American in Afghanistan who wants to get out of there,” Cruz said, to applause.

Ashley Hinson (Radio Iowa photo)

Liz Mathis, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, has announced she’s running challenge Hinson next year. Mathis says by inviting Cruz to Iowa, Hinson propped up the presidential ambitions of a man who glorified insurrectionists who attacked the U.S. Capitol in January.