Tom Harkin’s decision to retire from the Senate at the end of his current term will create an immeasurable void in the chamber where he has served for more than a quarter century. A progressive populist with a history of defending organized labor, working farmers, public education and public services, the Iowan arrived in the Senate as a fighting FDR Democrat and he will leave as one. As The Des Moines Register well recognized in its editorial on the Iowa Democrat's decision to retire: A variety of terms have been used to describe Harkin’s politics. He has been called a ... Read More