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.
While answering viewer questions on C-SPAN this morning, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley acknowledged that he has not made up his mind regarding U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.
“I have voted for 11 different people either on or previously on the Supreme Court,” Grassley said. “Only one of those 11 was not confirmed. I’m not sure yet how I’m going to vote on this nominee, but it could be the first time I vote against.”
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley (Lauren Victoria Burke/WDCPIX.COM)
Of the 11 individuals he favored for the post, Grassley said he knew that some would likely make rulings he disagreed with. He voted for them, he said, because they were qualified for the job. In fact, Grassley said the only Supreme Court justice he approved that later surprised him was Justice David Souter, the man Sotomayor hopes to replace.
Grassley also compared the hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas to what is currently happening with Sotomayor. In particular, he reminded those listening that although Thomas, like Sotomayor, had a compelling American story, and the Democrats in the Senate actively scrutinized him.
“The focus of the hearing is not Sotomayor, but we are interested in what people are going to do once they get on the bench,” he said.
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