Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
At least two of Iowa’s former governors are being bipartisan in their attacks on the personal life of GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.
Speaking during a television interview last night, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign co-chairman in Iowa, raised the issue of Giuliani’s three marriages. Vilsack went further, getting into speculation about the relationship the former New York mayor has with his children.
“I can’t even get into the number of marriages and the fact that his children – the relationship he has with his children – and what kind of circumstances New York was in before September 11,” Vilsack said during an interview on NY1 last night.
“There are lot of issues involving Mayor Giuliani. … He’s got a very interesting past.”
Vilsack’s comment comes months after another one-time resident of Terrace Hill — the Iowa governor’s mansion — told the Carroll Daily Times Herald that Giuliani faced some challenges where his personal life intersects with politics. In that article, former governor Terry Branstad, a Republican, said Giuliani had “baggage” from his personal life.
In western Iowa, Keeley Sinnard, Giuliani’s Carroll County campaign chairwoman, said Vilsack’s comments were cheap and diminishing of what should be the honorable role of a statesmanlike former governor.
“It’s just not very classy,” Sinnard told Iowa Independent. “It’s very Clintonesque.”
Sinnard said that given the Clintons’ own stormy past, the remarks from a surrogate campaign official are “like the pot calling the kettle black.”
“One of the things I like about Rudy is he’s not perfect,” Sinnard said. “He doesn’t claim to be perfect. Nobody’s perfect. I don’t know of any perfect marriage, perfect family.”
What’s more, if Hillary Clinton wants to make such disparaging remarks she should do it herself, said Sinnard, a mother of three who works in information technology marketing.
“She’s not man enough to do it because she doesn’t handle controversy well,” Sinnard said. “She has it all kid-gloved.”
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter