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.
Conservative news site The Daily Caller has joined the chorus of voices criticizing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the aftermath of health care reform legislation being signed into law by President Barack Obama.
As Daily Caller columnist Jon Ward puts it, the Republican is struggling to explain the difference between “Obamacare” — the federal health care legislation that Romney is arguing should be repealed — and “Romneycare” — the universal health-care plan he signed as governor. It’s an issue some of Romney’s potential GOP rivals for the 2012 presidential nomination have already keyed in on as a way to draw distinctions with the 2008 Iowa Caucus runner-up.
From the Daily Caller:
Romney has argued that his decision to mandate that each person in Massachusetts obtain insurance or face a financial penalty – similar to Obama’s plan – is “the ultimate conservative plan” because it encourages personal responsibility. But most conservatives dismiss that out of hand.
And the former governor has also tried to take a states rights tack, arguing that it is wrong for the federal government to mandate insurance coverage and impose a one-size-fits-all system, because health-care decisions should be left up to the states.
“Like any experiment, this was meant for one thing: Massachusetts. It wasn’t meant for Vermont or Texas, and their systems would not work in Massachusetts,” said Ron Kaufman, a D.C. lobbyist and close adviser to Romney.
MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, who advised both Romney and the Obama White House on their health-care initiatives, recently called Romney the “intellectual father of national health reform,” later saying the two plans are basically the same.
Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter