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.
Cameron Lynch, a veteran D.C.-based political consultant, has some advice for Republican candidates in 2010: Don’t talk about abortion and same-sex marriage.
In a blog on Politico over the weekend, Lynch — who has worked for politicians ranging from former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle to former Republican Sen. Bob Dole — says the GOP would be wise look to Bob McDonnell’s recent victory in the Virgina gubernatorial race as a model for 2010 Senate and House campaigns. McDonnell “shied away from emphasizing social issues on the stump,” focusing instead on economic concerns, Lynch said.
To be fair, McDonnell benefited from a weak general campaign opponent who never fully drew the support of the Virginia Democratic base. Nonetheless, biting his tongue on abortion, gay marriage and other hot button social issues (on which I’m sure he was more than willing to speak) netted him the support of independents and moderate conservatives who either stayed home or voted for Obama in 2008. Social and “movement” conservatives, apparently adequately convinced that McDonnell was “one of them”, overlooked his unwillingness to preach their gospel on the campaign trail.
Lynch’s advice is similar to that given repeatedly by Doug Gross, the 2002 GOP candidate for governor and longtime adviser to Terry Branstad. Gross has become a polarizing figure in Iowa politics — and public enemy No.1 for many grassroots conservatives and evangelical Christians — for calling on the Republican Party of Iowa to be more inclusive and focus less on social issues.
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