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.
(Latest statements from candidates located in comments.)
Two more Democratic presidential campaigns have issued statements about Michigan’s possible jump to Jan. 15, 2008, and their belief that Iowa should lead the nomination process.
“Gov. Bill Richardson believes Iowa should remain first in the primary calendar,” said Tom Reynolds, Richardson’s communications director in Iowa. “Iowans understand the responsibility that comes with their position and take it very seriously. They carefully scrutinize the candidates and their policies to make informed choices. The retail politics that take place in Iowa are a valuable part of the electoral process.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd’s campaign agrees Iowa should maintain its role as first in the nation.
“Voters and caucus-goers in Iowa are not impressed by celebrity or campaign war chests,” said Taylor West, Iowa press secretary for Chris Dodd for President. “Instead, they evaluate candidates face-to-face, asking tough questions to determine who would make the strongest nominee and the strongest president. Given the stakes in this election, the thorough examination of candidates by voters in the early states plays a crucial role in the process, and it’s one that we believe should continue.”
The statements follow one made by Sen. Joe Biden at the end of a weeklong tour of the state.
“Powerful interests are trying to change the Democratic nomination for president into a game of Monopoly, replacing the retail politics of Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire with a process in which the only credential necessary to be president is to be the wealthiest candidate,” he said.
Biden of Delaware called upon all “fellow Democratic candidates to reaffirm their support for the retail role of Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire.”
The statements come mere days before the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee meets in Washington, D.C., to debate whether primary and caucus dates in a number of states meet the rules that same committee set last year.
Representatives of the Iowa Democratic Party will take part in the meeting and, it appears, they will have several Democratic candidates standing in their corner.
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