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.
Iowa Democrats and Republicans reacted quickly to former Republican Congressman Jim Leach’s endorsement of Democrat Barack Obama.
“Congressman Leach is well-respected across the state of Iowa by Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike, and we are honored to have his support,†said Obama Iowa State Director Jackie Norris in a press release. “This election is about changing the way Washington does business, and many Republicans like Congressman Leach understand America cannot afford another four years of the failed policies of the Bush Administration.â€
“It’s rather ironic that someone like Jim Leach, a person who placed such a strong focus on campaign finance issues, would be endorsing the first presidential candidate since Watergate to skirt the public financing program in the general election,” said Iowa McCain spokesperson Wendy Riemann in a press release. “Despite Obama’s lofty speeches on change, Iowans know that real change comes from working across the aisle to get things done. A single endorsement does not hide the fact that Senator Obama has no record of achievement beyond the confines of his party. While John McCain has spent his career putting the country first — ahead of personal and party interests – Senator Obama’s record is a lesson in partisanship.â€
Iowa’s top Republican blogger, Krusty Konservative, expressed surprise at the endorsement. “While he is very well respected in the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport area, his endorsement doesn’t carry much weight unless he’s willing to make some appearances and work to get his former supporters to back Obama,” writes Krusty.
Republican activist Mike Thayer, author of the Coralville Courier blog, disagrees. “Not surprising, and another example of how and why many GOP faithful lost faith in Jim Leach,” he told Iowa Independent.
State Sen. Dave Hartsuch of Bettendorf, the Republican candidate for Congress against Rep. Bruce Braley in the 1st Congressional District, is a conservative who defeated moderate incumbent Maggie Tinsman in a 2006 primary. Hartsuch said Leach had been quoted in a recent issue of Campaigns and Elections magazine as a supporter of the Republican Leadership Council, a group that hopes to move the party in a more moderate direction. “I think it’s interesting,” Hartsuch said of Leach’s endorsement, “because it really shows how far to the left this group is.”
“For some reason, probably the war, (Leach) feels that he cannot support John McCain,” writes Republican state central committee member David Chung at his Hawkeye GOP blog. Leach was one of only five Republican House members to vote against the war in 2002. “Moderates in the party have long complained that conservatives would abandon them. In fact it is obvious that just the opposite is true,” said Chung.
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