Top Iowa paper bashes GOP's Steve King for consorting with 'fascists and neo-Nazis' and endorses his opponent

Iowa's largest newspaper, The Des Moines Register, announced its endorsements on Saturday, and the editorial board's advice was consistent: Vote Democrat. For all Congressional races.

The respected newspaper, which has 16 Pulitzer Prizes and is circulated across the state where the first presidential contests are held, said that "the stakes are too high" to endorse any Republicans in the 2018 midterms.

"Some have argued that this election should be a referendum on President Trump," the paper's editors wrote. "We disagree. This is about Congress, which has abdicated much of its constitutional duty and has failed to provide a check and balance to the executive branch."

As such, The Register decided to open its endorsements with one clear directive: Vote Democrat.

"The Register’s editorial board normally considers each congressional race individually before making endorsements. We interview the candidates, if possible, and review their backgrounds and public positions. We consider character and the candidate’s depth of understanding of issues. We have been known, at times, to endorse a candidate we disagree with on issues rather than one we doubt could follow through on promised change," the editorial reads. "But the stakes are too high this year to worry about whether some candidates have sufficiently detailed agendas or know enough about how some parts of the government work. Nothing short of a change in party leadership in Congress will move this country forward."

The paper then proceeds to break down every race and endorse the Democrat, saving special invective for the state's most infamous politican, Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

"This one’s a no-brainer for any Iowan who has cringed at eight-term incumbent King’s increasing obsession with being a cultural provocateur," the paper writes. "In his almost 16 years in Congress, King has passed exactly one bill as primary sponsor, redesignating a post office. He won’t debate his opponent and rarely holds public town halls. Instead, he spends his time meeting with fascist leaders in Europe and retweeting neo-Nazis."