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.
Even with several veteran Democratic senators announcing their retirements, Republicans still are unlikely to retake the a Senate majority, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley told The Des Moines Register Wednesday.
Grassley sat down for an interview with columnist Kathie Obradovich, and when the topic turned to the retirements of Sens. Chris Dodd and Byron Dorgan, the Iowa Republican was quick with a predition.
I asked him if he saw the retirements, announced today, as significantly increasing the GOP’s chances to take over the Senate. Grassley’s answer: a flat “no.”
But, he noted, if I’d ask him a year ago, he could easily have seen Republicans losing another four or five seats in 2010. Now, he says, there’s a good chance of the GOP picking up several seats. “That’s quite a swing in 12 months.”
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has been the subject of heated criticism after similar remarks on Monday. Steele said Republicans won’t win back the U.S. House in fall elections and might not be ready to lead even if they do. Grassley defended Steele to Obradovich, saying expectations should not be set too high.
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