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.
During an interview at his last campaign stop in Iowa before Christmas, Republican front-runner Mike Huckabee disavowed anti-Catholic comments and teachings made by the senior pastor of a Texas church where he will be speaking on Sunday.
Huckabee wrapped up an ambitious pre-Christmas tour of Iowa on Saturday with four appearances in the Fifth Congressional District, home to more than half of the state’s registered Republicans. He returns to Iowa after celebrating Christmas with his family in Arkansas. But on the way home, Huckabee will make a stop in San Antonio where he will speak to members of the Cornerstone Church.
Cornerstone is one of the nation’s largest churches, with nearly 17,000 members. John C. Hagee, senior pastor at the church, has told his congregation in the past that the Beast referred to in the Bible is actually the Catholic Church and the so-called Anti-Christ is the Pope.
“I have to say that I don’t agree with those teachings,” Huckabee told the Iowa Independent following a speech in Sheldon. “Several members of my staff are Catholic and have marched shoulder to shoulder many times in pro-life marches with people of the Catholic faith.”
When he was asked if he was aware of Hagee’s teachings about the Catholic Church, Huckabee said he wasn’t. “There are things that he believes that I wouldn’t agree with and I am sure there are things that I believe that he wouldn’t agree with.”
Hagee has also been criticized by some Evangelicals because of the large salary he collects for the work he does, more than $1.25 million in 2005, according to the San Antonio News-Express. Hagee said at the time that he deserves the pay because of the long hours he works.
Hagee has also said that the Catholic Church was implicit in its support of Adolph Hitler. “When Hitler became a global demonic monster, the Catholic Church and Pope Pius XII never, ever slightly criticized him,” Hagee wrote. “…. In all of his [Hitler's] years of absolute brutality, he was never denounced or even scolded by Pope Pius XII or any Catholic leader in the world. To those Christians who believe that Jewish hearts will be warmed by the sight of the cross, please be informed-to them it’s an electric chair,”
Huckabee is scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services, according to his campaign web site.
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