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.
Last night, at the pre-Straw Poll “Ronstock” concert at the Bali Satay House in Ames, a Ron Paul volunteer played back a recording of competing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney joking about cheating in a State Fair popularity contest, stuffing the ballot box in Ames, and dodging questions across the state.
Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, a group that has been shadowing Romney across the state, introduced me to Jeffrey Goines – which also happens to be the name of a character in the movie Twelve Monkeys — who had been entertaining a group of gun enthusiasts with a recording he says he made at the Mitt Romney pre-Straw Poll rally, also held that evening in Ames. Goines said he attended the event to pass out Paul fliers and was not an official tracker for the Paul campaign.
“Gosh, those Ask Mitt Anythings, how many of those did we have? 46? 47? Unfortunately, people took us for our word,” Romney joked, according to a sound clip on the digital recording device. “They asked me anything. There were some truly awful questions. But I, but I tried to dodge most of those. And I, I’ll keep on doing that as long as I can.”
Dudley, who described himself as “a different kind of gun nut” and carried an iPhone, was appalled by the joke, which he says was inappropriate given the administration’s obsession with secrecy. “This is America!” Dudley said. “The real story is him saying they’re dodging questions.”
Romney also joked about stuffing the ballot box at today’s Straw Poll. “At 7 o’clock they will count the ballots. We will stuff the ballot box, I hope,” he said on the recording.
And he joked about cheating in the Corn Poll, the bipartisan State Fair popularity contest in which attendees are asked to “cast your kernel” by placing a kernel of corn in a jar for their favored candidate to show their support. “I was a little dismayed because I saw Barack Obama — he had a lot of corn in that Mason jar,” quipped Romney. “But I was number one – so thanks for cheating!” The crowd applauded in the background.
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