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.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) believes that one of Iowa’s Democratic candidates for senate isn’t living up to her campaign promises.
Colin Reed, spokesman for the NRSC, took note of an invitation sent by the American Association for Justice, formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, highlighting fundraising events being held on behalf of U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, a Democrat representing Iowa’s 1st District, and Roxanne Conlin, one of four Democrats hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, in the November election.
Roxanne Conlin
“It’s ironic that less than three months after launching a campaign promising to ‘take on the special interests,’ Roxanne Conlin is spending the weekend collecting campaign cash from her fellow trial lawyers,” Reed said. “Judging by her behavior, Roxanne Conlin is more interested in representing the special interests than she is in fighting them, and voters in Iowa will reject her record when they re-elect Senator Grassley this November.”
Shortly after formerly announcing her campaign for U.S. Senate, Conlin uploaded a video to her campaign Web site and YouTube that promised she would take on the special interests.
While no political candidate necessarily enjoys being called out, this particular shot from the NRSC is likely to bring more smiles than frowns at Conlin headquarters. It stands as proof that Republicans — both in Iowa and at the national level — view her as a candidate worthy of attention and note.
Although it is a direct attack on Conlin — and an indirect reminder to Iowans that Braley is a trial lawyer — it actually delivers its most hurtful blow on Conlin’s Democratic opponents. It assumes the campaigns of Bob Krause, Tom Fiegen and Sal Mohamed are not viable options for Democrats and any criticism they deliver against Conlin have no impact. Otherwise the NRSC wouldn’t be jumping into the fray except to serve as an echo chamber.
Perhaps the NRSC has learned something that other pollsters have not: That Grassley’s re-election bid is not going to be as easy as once thought.
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