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.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, has yet another Republican challenger, as retired architect Mark Rees has officially joined the 2010 3rd District GOP primary.
Rees formed a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission last week. His campaign Web site, www.markreesforcongress.com, will go live next week and he has scheduled a press conference to formally announce his campaign Monday at 4 p.m. at his West Des Moines home.
Mark Rees
He has never held or run for elected office, a fact he believes is a benefit.
“This country wasn’t built by career politicians and I don’t think our founding fathers intended our government to be run by them either,” Rees said. “I believe that I can make a positive and lasting contribution to the lives of not only those I might have the privilege to serve and represent, but to the lives of those yet to come.”
Rees said he plans to strike a bipartisan tone with his campaign, focusing on the issues instead of personal or political attacks.
“Nothing of lasting value ever exits on the fringe – at either end of the political spectrum,” he said. “Everything that survives the test of successive generations resides in the middle band of bipartisan cooperation – the common ground for the common good.”
Rees joins retired pilot Dave Funk, former Iowa State University wrestling coach Jim Gibbons and state Sen. Brad Zaun in the GOP primary.
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