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.
Iowa’s former First Lady says Hillary Clinton is going to close Iowa caucus-goers, make the final sale, with the argument of experience.
“I think in the end when people are thinking not only who they like for the Democratic nomination but who can win in the fall – because it’s not just about nominating somebody who we like in Iowa (they’ll go with Clinton),” Christie Vilsack said in Carroll. “We have to think beyond that. We have to think about who can win against the Republicans.”
Vilsack, wife of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, met with about 30 residents and visitors at the Regency Park long-term care center (formerly known as Carroll Manor).
Vilsack received laughs and light applause after noting that her first political experience was meeting President Harry Truman when she was 3 years old.
The Vilsacks have been diligent Clinton surrogates around Iowa.
Tom Vilsack campaigned here weeks ago for Clinton and appeared with the Democratic presidential candidate at Northwest Park this fall.
After mingling with residents and posing for pictures, Vilsack stopped for an interview with Iowa Independent, Daily Times Herald and Carroll Broadcasting.
Vilsack said she thinks Clinton has crossover appeal with Republicans, something the New York senator has demonstrated in the Empire State in her re-election there.
Moreover, Independents and women are likely to be in Camp Clinton on caucus day, Jan. 3, says Vilsack.
“I think our secret weapon, our margin of victory, lies with a lot of people who will caucus for the first time,” Vilsack said. “I’ve just been talking to a few people here who will caucus for the first time.”
Vilsack stressed Clinton’s comfort and connections on the world stage, noting that on her first day as president, Clinton could pick up the phone and talk to more than 80 world leaders she already has met as a U.S. senator and the wife of former President Bill Clinton.
“And I want the president on the first day to know more about health-care than anybody else in the country,” Vilsack said.
In her appearance in Carroll, Vilsack was on message and refused to stray from the campaign’s carefully crafted talking points in an interview with reporters.
She declined to comment on stories relating to Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s admission of past drug use and the reaction of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to Obama on that matter.
She also declined to discuss some of former Massachusetts Gov. Romney’s strongly worded comments on immigration here in Carroll and how those comments ran counter to the 2010 plan on Iowa’s workforce and population championed by her husband.
Vilsack simply insisted that Clinton had a comprehensive immigration reform package.
(Photo: Former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack speaks with Norbert Hagemann at Regency Park in Carroll. Both are strong supporters of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.)
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