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.
Two Iowa U.S. attorney’s offices are one step closer to being under new leadership.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley is a member with seniority, agreed today by unanimous consent to pass the nominations of Stephanie Rose and Nick Klinefeldt on to the full Senate.
“These individuals are enthusiastic, intelligent attorneys, and I’m pleased to support their nominations,” Grassley wrote in his statement for the committee. “I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for [them].”
Nick Klinefeldt & Stephanie Rose
Although both nominees are considered well-qualified for the positions, neither has been able to escape criticism.
Rose’s critics point to her role in the prosecution of the more than 300 immigrants that were detained in the raid at Agriprocessors in Postville. Criticism of Klinefeldt, which has been little more than a whisper when compared to the organized and often aggressive effort against Rose, has not centered on him personally, but on the fact that his father is currently serving a 10-year sentence on drug-related charges. In each instance, Harkin has vehemently defended the two attorneys.
In addition to the two Iowa nominees, the committee also approved by unanimous consent the nomination of Kenyen Brown for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama.
If confirmed by the Senate, Klinefeldt will replace Matt Whitaker, who was nominated by then-President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June 2004. If confirmed, Rose will replace Matt Dummermuth, an attorney recommended by Grassley and appointed by then-President George W. Bush in January 2007. Although nominated by the Bush administration in December 2008, Dummermuth never faced Senate confirmation.
There are a total of 93 U.S. Attorney posts in the nation. To date, including the three nominees today, the Judiciary Committee has approved 24 individuals, and 18 of those have gone to be confirmed by the Senate.
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