Laura Belin is somewhat of an underground superstar here in Des Moines. Anyone that wants any sort of investigation and insight into state politics reads her blog, Bleeding Heartland. After a decade covering Iowa politics, Belin applied for press credentials with the state legislature this year for the first time. The credentials were denied with no reason given.
Some of you may be familiar with Belin, otherwise known as desmoinesdem both here and at Bleeding Heartland. The Des Moines Register thinks that Belin should get the credentials.
The Iowa House — whose members probably read Belin on a regular basis to understand their own bills — should grant her the credentials she deserves.
The Washington Post is equally supportive of giving Belin credentials.
Belin is open about her liberal views and compares herself to reporters for left-leaning publications such as Mother Jones and The Nation. Iowa House rules do not further define who qualifies as a member of the press and Belin noted that other non-traditional outlets have been granted credentials in the past.
“The fact that I don’t pretend to be objective, that I don’t hide my opinion about some of the political issues I cover, I don’t think that should have any bearing on whether I am considered a member of the media,” she said.
Belin has been critical of Democratic lawmakers, as well, including pieces in which she called for the resignation of a Democratic senator accused of sexual misconduct and criticized some legislators for not raising enough money to help their party compete with the GOP.
The fact of the matter is that you should all be following Bleeding Heartland going into 2020 if you want to understand the coming caucus season. If you regularly visit DK and aren’t familiar with Bleeding Heartland and desmoinesdem then you will instantly recognize the style and stance of the blog. Most of us who write anything about Iowa here get at least part of our information at Bleeding Heartland.
The Iowa GOP is very strong at the state level with control of the legislature and the governor’s mansion. In many ways, Iowa is the last stand of the GOP of the late 20th and 21st century. The trickle down, privatization, no public investment agenda is straight out of the ALEC playbook. This state is incredibly red, at least in the capitol.
This state and this nation need Laura Belin and Bleeding Heartland. Hell, we need at least one Belin in every state capitol. She is the voice of the progressive movement in Iowa. And that is not enough reason to deny her press credentials. Her record and her reporting speak for themselves. Trust me that the Iowa GOP knows exactly who Laura Belin is. And they don’t want her anywhere near what they are doing in Des Moines this session.