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.
Crossroads GPS, a conservative policy and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., is building on its TV ads criticizing U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Des Moines) with direct mailers in his district.
Leonard Boswell
The mailer, reproduced below, is very similar to the TV ad. It attacks Boswell for supporting President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and says the American Jobs Act will mean “more big government spending and tax increases of $450 billion.”
Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies has so far spent $186,556 at the KCCI and WHO networks in Des Moines, the local CBS and NBC affiliates. The group has ties to former White House deputy chief Karl Rove.
It’s unclear how much Crossroads is spending on the mailing, or what communities are receiving it. The mailing below was received in Des Moines.
Boswell faces a tough re-election battle against fellow U.S. Rep. Tom Latham (R-Ames), who’s opted to move and take on Boswell rather than face U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Kiron) in his current district.
According to OpenSecrets.org, the 501(c)(4) “outside spending” group spent $15.1 million against Democrats in the 2009-10 cycle and $479,619 for Republicans. It spent another $1.1 million on electioneering communications. The group doesn’t disclose its donors.
American Crossroads, a related “super PAC,” raised $26.5 million in 2010 and spent $21.5 million. It raised and spent the most out of any independent expenditure-only committees in 2010.
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