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.
U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska is the first Democratic elected official to be included as “unfriendly to Hispanics” by a national watchdog group.
Nelson earned the distinction from Somos Republicans after The Iowa Independent reported that Nelson unequivocally stated his plans to block a Senate vote on legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented individuals, who were brought to the U.S. while children and who agree to sign up for military service or higher education.
Nelson noted he is “not going to support any legislation that I don’t think adds to jobs, or the military or the economy.”
“Consequently, I won’t support any motion to proceed or any kind of cloture measure on the DREAM Act,” Nelson wrote, adding that he believes such an issue can only be addressed as part of “an overall comprehensive solution to immigration once we have the boarder secured, and not until then.”
In direct contrast to Nelson’s assertion that passage of the DREAM Act would not add to jobs or the military, the changes that would be implemented as a part of the DREAM Act are ones that the U.S. Department of Defense has highlighted as important to maintaining a “mission-ready, all-volunteer” force.
Somos Republicans note that Hispanics make up approximately 9 percent of the total Nebraska population, and the group is vowing to turn out the Hispanic vote and “remind Hispanics how Sen. Nelson punished their children should he decide to run again in 2012.”
“We wonder if Representative Nancy Pelosi or other Democrat leaders will offer Senator Ben Nelson a ‘DREAM Act sweetheart deal,’ similar to what he received when he signed Obamacare,” the group wrote in its press release. “Latinos are fed up with politicians who have used and continue to use the immigrant issue as a political futbol.”
The 2012 list on which Nelson now appears is a continuation of an effort began by the Southwestern Hispanic Republicans during the 2010 presidential season. Some of those labeled as “Hispanic-unfriendly” have used terminology that is offensive, such as the term “wetbacks” or the term “anchor babies.” But the label is not limited to those who have stereotyped immigrants as drug mules, terrorists or usurpers of the economy, but it also include candidates who had opponents were more effective in Hispanic outreach or addressing issues important to the group.
Gov.-elect Terry Branstad, as well as U.S. Reps. Steve King (R-Kiron) and Leonard Boswell (D-Des Moines) were “unfriendly” place holders on the 2010 list. Nelson, however, did not make the previous list.
Somos Republicans hope to increase the Latino voting block by 100 percent within two years by providing political education and information needed for their constituents to make informed decisions at the ballot box.
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