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.
A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, tells the Sioux City Journal’s Bret Hayworth the congressman may debate his Democratic opponent this fall “if he has an opponent running a credible and positive campaign.”
Matt Campbell of Manning easily defeated Mike Denklau of Council Bluffs by around 50 percentage points in the Democratic primary in the 5th congressional district, earning him the chance to unseat King. The four-term incumbent has never agreed to debate any of his Democratic opponents, something Campbell compared to “spitting on American democracy.”
From Hayworth’s blog:
Campbell continuing comments showed he knew King’s past reasons for declining to debate, including that the Democratic opponents were not “credible.”
Said Campbell, “I am the son of five generations of Iowa farmers, I’ve won a competitive Democratic primay, I’m a former regional leader at an accounting firm that is the 10th largest in the country. I’m a legitimate candidate, I’ve earned the right to debate. It is inexcusable for him not to debate. If he doesn’t do it, people shouldn’t vote for him.”
King’s spokeswoman said they are “observing [Campbell's] campaign, so we can find out what his positions on the issues are,” but admitted his convincing victory could help him earn a debate.
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