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.
Terry BranstadCedar Rapids Gazette columnist Todd Dorman got the opportunity to sit down with former Gov. Terry Branstad to talk about his return to politics, covering subjects from same-sex marriage to “the confrontational right” to the size of government.
Branstad, who’s had trouble winning over social and religious conservatives since unofficially entering the gubernatorial campaign last October, clarified his position on a constitutional convention, saying it’s an option but he isn’t advocating it to overturn the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage. He believes the proper way to deal with it would be to amend the state’s constitution.
From Dorman’s column:
What is it about gay and lesbian marriage that you’re not comfortable with?
“Well, it’s got to do with the whole structure of the American society. And, uh, a lot of people say when other ancient societies have gone this direction, it was the beginning of the end of their society. Because, the building blocks of really having stable culture is really having one man, one woman marriage. So I think that is an important part.
“Even children who grow up in a stable relationship where they have both a father and a mother are more likely to succeed, not to say single parents can’t raise children that end up being successful, but the, if you look at anything, juvenile delinquency, teenage pregnancy, just about any factor, drug abuse whatever, is less likely to occur if you have a stable, what we call normal home situation where you have a father and a mother to nurture the children.”
Branstad then more or less came out in support of civil unions for same-sex couples, saying he has no problem “with people that want to live together and raise a child and things like that,” it’s just not marriage. He also took the opportunity to attack his chief rival, Bob Vander Plaats, saying his idea to overturn legalized same-sex marriage with an executive order is not plausible since a governor is not a “dictator.”
The entire interview is well worth a read, as it’s the most in-depth look at Branstad since he joined the race.
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