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.
Iowa House Speaker Pro Tempore Polly Bukta, D-Clinton, has become the ninth member of the Iowa Legislature to endorse Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. With the addition of Bukta, the campaign’s endorsement list includes five members of the Iowa House Leadership.
Biden was one of four candidates to attend Bukta’s annual corn boil, held in August. Biden was the final speaker of the day, and many in the stands at Riverfront Stadium in Clinton had moved to the grounds, most scampering after New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards on a quest for pictures and autographs.
On that day, Biden spoke forcefully about his plan for Iraq and his reasoning for voting to continue funding.
“The truth is that when we voted several months ago on dealing with whether we were going to fund the troops another six months — the truth is I was the only Democrat to vote for it,” he said. “I know a lot of you are angry. Every other Democratic candidate running for president was among the 14 ‘no’ votes. I was told that voting to fund the troops could cost me the election here in Iowa. But, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is as long as there is a single American troop in Iraq… we have a sacred obligation to protect them.”
Bukta, who organized for Biden during his previous run for the White House, is a strong legislative figure in Clinton and the surrounding area and, as such, was wooed by many presidential campaigns. The decision, she said, came down to loyalty and experience.
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