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.
The date is official, as Iowa’s Democratic State Central Committee voted 32-7 on Sunday night to set Thursday, Jan. 3 as caucus night.
The Biden campaign was the first to release a statement after the vote was announced, with Iowa spokesperson Danny O’Brien offering: “(Biden’s) commitment to the Iowa caucuses has only grown stronger as Democrats across the state have demonstrated their seriousness in electing a candidate who can win the 2008 general election. Sen. Biden looks forward to a strong showing in the January 3 caucuses that will propel him toward the Democratic nomination.” Other campaigns also commented on the decision when it was first rumored last week, and generally their reactions were calm.
The only question mark left in the convoluted and contested calendar is the continuing game of brinksmanship between New Hampshire and Michigan.
It’s still widely assumed that New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner will schedule his state for Jan.8, leaving a five-day gap after Iowa. “Given the ‘speeding up’ of news cycles in the last four years, five days could be 2004′s 8 days in terms of impact,” University of Iowa political science professor David Redlawsk told Iowa Independent. “And 8 days was enough for John Kerry to ride the wave.”But Gardner still says a December primary is a possibility. And Last week, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin made noise about setting a Democratic caucus on whatever day the New Hampshire primary is scheduled. The threat seems less an effort to increase Michigan’s influence, and more an attempt to push New Hampshire (and, by extension, Iowa) off the table. On Friday, Ballot Access News reports, legislation was introduced in Michigan to cancel the Jan. 15 primary, though its chances of passage are unclear.
“It doesn’t matter if New Hampshire and/or Michigan move into December,” said Redlawsk. “There would be a couple weeks after them to focus back on Iowa. And given the investments in this state, I don’t see candidates suddenly pulling out of here no matter what New Hampshire and/or Michigan do.”
The other leapfrog state, Florida, had a disappointing Democratic convention in Orlando this weekend, where only Mike Gravel showed up. Florida Democratic State Senate Leader Steve Geller promptly withdrew his John Edwards endorsement to back Gravel.
Back home in Iowa, campaigns are settling in for Jan. 3. In Johnson County, turnout may be dramatically affected. The original Jan. 14 date fell near the end of the University of Iowa’s break, but Jan. 3 is right in the middle.
“Having the caucus date on break in the first place made it a great challenge to reach out to students in order to get them to caucus,” said Atul Nakhasi, head of the University of Iowa Democrats.. “With the move to even deeper within the break, the challenge will be a bit greater even more so now.”
“We hope to have an immense caucus educational/awareness push in the month of December that hopefully will give students motivation and momentum they can carry over break until Jan. 3rd,” said Nakhasi. “And I know campaigns are orchestrating their own efforts geared towards getting students out on Jan. 3rd as well.”
The Obama campaign has a program of “Hometown Caucus Captains” for students who’ll be in their Iowa home towns on caucus night. “This program is so students will know their caucus location in their home town,” said Emily Jakobsen of Students for Obama. “This has been going on even before the caucus moved up.”
Nakhasi said the University Democrats are also encouraging in-state students to caucus back home if it is most convenient and simple for them to do so. “Out-of-state students are highly encouraged to contact the various campaigns in Iowa City to arrange for their transportation and housing over break back in Iowa to participate in the process as well,” he added.
Who the date helps of hurts really isn’t clear yet, because in real world of non-political junkies, many Iowans are just starting to tune in. “At this time in 2004, it would have been two tickets out,” said Redlawsk, “and Dean and Gephardt would have them.”
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