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.
NH State Senator introduces Huckabee as “the governor of Arkansas who’s not going to marry Hillary Clinton; he’s going to BEAT Hillary Clinton!”
2:15PM “Republican in my state feels about as out of place as Michael Vick at the Westminister Dog Show,” so it’s nice to be around Republicans here.
“I’m not the best-funded candidate in America. I can’t buy you; I don’t have the money… I can’t even rent you.”
Playing to Straw Poll voters’ consciences. Voters here understand that “they’re buying the cereal, not just the box.”
2:18PM Huckabee knows it’s an uphill battle.
Huckabee was the first male in his family lineage to graduate high school.
“I like the mountaintop, but I’ve spent a lot more of my life in the valley.”
America’s greatness is because of its “wonderful people, who believe in” God, family, country.
“We need to change our tax system and not with a tap of the hammer…” Instead, we need a FairTax system so that “a seven-year-old running a lemonade stand knows how to operate.”
(Is that the test of a good tax system? Really?)
2:20PM
On immigration, Huckabee recites his line about how at minimum it has to be as hard to get into the country as it is to get on an airplane. Although his immigration position is pretty similar to everyone else’s, his rhetoric doesn’t sound hard-line enough to satisfy much of the audience.
His rhetoric is impressive, but his populism doesn’t seem like it’s selling here.
2:22PM
Farming is a national security issue, not just for energy but also for food security. “Wait until this country messes up and has to depend on foreign food.” He’s the first candidate here to mention this.
Also mentions coal miners in Utah. I can’t say for sure that no one else has mentioned them, but I don’t recall hearing about them from anyone else today.
2:25PM
“I have, on nine occasions, visited Israel.” Also a unique point. Says Holocaust happened because a lot of so-called decent Christians looked the other way, and Huckabee wanted to show his daughter what can happen when that is allowed to happen.
This is perhaps the most touching moment of the day so far — but does this crowd want “touching”? Or do they just want red meat?
2:27
Uh oh. Huckabee just said that supporting Huckabee was “doing something” in the same way that standing up for victims of the Holocaust was “doing something.” Did he really just compare the two things? And, honestly, why is everybody clapping?
And now his speech ends. People are filing out. Not much enthusiasm from the peanut gallery. This is how a guy with a perfect record on everything for the Iowa GOP can do so poorly in a place like this.
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