“…And understand this, that difference is not accidental. It’s not the consequence of, of gravity. That difference is about who government works for…”

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) continued her presidential campaign in Iowa with a town hall at Simpson College in Indianola on Sunday afternoon. In a presidential campaign tour de force, she spoke at length, took questions, and then stayed and stood for selfie photographs with a very long line of supporters. Close to 500 individuals attended the event.

Senator Warren’s remarks:

…Today, the question asked in Washington is, where do we set the minimum wage to maximize the profits of giant multinational corporations? Well, I don’t want a government that works for giant multinational corporations. I want one that works for our priorities. [applause][cheers]…

…We have a government that works great. Works fabulously. For giant drug companies. Just not for people who are trying to get a prescription filled. Can I have an amen on that? [voices: “Amen!”] A government that works terrifically for anyone who wants to invest in private prisons or private detention centers. Just not for the people whose live are destroyed…[applause][cheers] A government that works terrifically for giant oil companies that want to drill everywhere. Just not for the rest of us who see climate change…And when you see a government that works great for those with money and not so good for everyone else, that is corruption, pure and simple, and we need to call it out for what it is [applause][cheers]…

…whatever issue brought you here today, whatever is the one that gets you up in the morning, keeps you up at night, whether it’s criminal justice reform, whether it’s climate, whether it’s gun safety, whether it’s health care, student loans, whatever is the issue, if there is a decision to be made in Washington, I guarantee it’s been touched by money. It’s been influenced by money…

…If we…want to make this country, this government, this Democracy work for us its gonna take big structural change…

..And I got a plan for that [cheers][applause]…

…Here’s the good news. I have the biggest anti-corruption plan since Watergate. Yay! [applause][cheers] Here’s the bad news. We need the biggest anti-corruption plan since Watergate…

…End lobbying as we know it. [cheers][applause] Block the revolving door between Wall Street and Washington. [cheers][applause] Here’s one you may never have even thought about, make the United States Supreme Court follow basic rules of ethics. [cheers][applause] Boy, I love this. Uh, I could do these all day long. [laughter] But, I tell you what, let me just do one more. You really want to root out some corruption? Really. Here’s one. Every single person who run for Federal office has to put their tax returns online [cheers][applause]…

…Once you disrupt the influence of money, once they’re no longer able to call the shots without somebody calling them out, now we’ve got the possibility of some more change…

…Unions built America’s middle class, unions will rebuild America’s middle class…

…It is time for a wealth tax in America. [applause][cheers] And here’s how it goes, here’s my plan. Your first fifty million dollars in accumulated wealth. Free and clear. [laughter]…But on your fifty million and first dollar, you gotta pitch in two cents. And two cents on every dollar after that…

…By raising the payroll taxes on the top two percent in this country we can extend the viability of Social Security for decades we can give every single person getting a Social Security check a two hundred dollar a month raise, and we can get every person who counts on a disability check a two hundred dollar a month raise…