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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.
Mike Huckabee should enjoy his debate win tonight because a well-financed counter-punch is coming from Mitt Romney, his chief rival in the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses.
Seen from the Iowa perspective, the CNN/YouTube debate in Florida offered Huckabee an extraordinary chance to build his recent momentum in the Hawkeye State. With Sunday-best wit, and more than a few God nods, Huckabee seized his moments and perhaps did enough this evening to move into a dead-heat (or even to the lead as one poll suggested) with long-standing front-runner here, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.
Simply put, Romney looked vulnerable tonight, seemingly scared of the next words that might emerge from his own mouth.
But the debate win may have come at a huge cost for Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, who exposed a soft flank with his party on illegal immigration, an issue that stirs the most passions in conservative bastions of the state. (They may love Jesus but my money’s on them hating the Mexicans in front of them in the Wal-Mart check-out lines more.)Huckabee acknowleged support for providing college scholarships to illegal immigrants who had been in primary and secondary education in his state.
“We’re a better country than to punish children for what their parents did,” Huckabee said in defense of his position.
“Mike that’s not your money,” Romney said. “That’s the taxpayers’ money.”
This exchange came early in the debate and had the night ended there Romney would have had his commercial, a deadly spot to loop through local television stations on his new nemesis.
But Huckabee came back big. And Romney faltered, looking at one point as a waffler on, of all things, the Bible.
Of the GOP candidates Huckabee is the best with humor.
When asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty Huckabee joked, “Jesus was too smart to ever run for public office.” And later, when asked a question about his position on funding for space exploration, Huckabee said, “Maybe Hillary could be on the first rocket to Mars.”
A Baptist minister who is now running ads characterizing himself as a “Christian leader” Huckabee’s deeper answer on the Bible being the word of God revealed to man was a steroid-swatted political homerun.
Huckabee also benefited as a specator, perhaps even more so than when had the Florida floor. Romney took some blistering shots from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani who accused Romney of living in a “sanctuary mansion” where illegal inmmigrants were employed.
“You have a special immigration problem that nobody up here has,” Hizzoner said.
Later in the debate, Romney declined to describe waterboarding as torture and inspired the wrath of war-hero John McCain, as the Arizona senator and most famous POW in American history suggested that Romney’s position is one borne of the easy life of a stateside civilian.
“Life is not “24″ and Jack Bauer,” McCain said, referencing the popular Fox network show.
Without considering the current state of the race in Iowa, just looking at the debate in an organic sense, McCain demonstrated statesmanship and class that made his fellow travelers on the stage seem like small men, petty political staffers.
Does McCain now own a gun? No. But he damned well knows how to use one. No explanation necessary and Romney’s 2nd Amendment appeal — that his son left a couple of rifles at his house — seemed downright sissy.
McCain also effectively uses anti-war libertarian Ron Paul, a GOP congressman and presidential candidate, as a foil.
“We never lost a battle in Vietnam,” McCain said in response to a Paul point. “It was American public opinion that forced us to lose that conflict.”
The base loves fighting the 60s culture wars over and over and over …
McCain also noted that unlike President George W. Bush he wouldn’t need to rely heavily on a vice president for international affairs and military advice.
And if America had taken the advice of Democrats six months ago, the terrorists would be declaring victory today, McCain said.
Then you have Romney who couldn’t give a straight answer on gays in the military.
Of the other candidates Giuliani did nothing to hurt himself tonight. It was an unremarkable performance but one that leaves his campaign unshaken, and a surging Huckabee is just what the doctor ordered for Hizzoner as it is doubtful Huck has the stuff to compete in larger states where his front-porch-swinging ways and Scopes Monkey Trial-era view of science may make him long for those fat joke he used to hear.
Former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., shows signs with strong answers on guns and abortion.
“I own a couple of guns but I’m not going to tell you what they are or where they are,” he said.
But he fades into the background too easily. He only got minutes of airtime in the hour-long “Law & Order” episodes in which he appeared and he doesn’t fight for the mike in these debates. This is no time for the Easy Eddie appproach to the American presidency — and even small government types get this.
Congressmen Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are just wasting valuable time, none of which I am going to spend here now.
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