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 online magazine Slate asked its readers to submit idea on how Democrats could overcome Republican opposition and still pass meaningful health care reform legislation, and the one chosen as the most creative involved Iowa’s own Chuck Grassley.
There’s been talk of passing a bill through reconciliation and of ending or modifying the filibuster to keep a minority group of senators from killing legislation. But one way that health care reform could be passed is if President Barack Obama were to appoint Grassley to a position that caused him to leave the Senate, freeing up a Republican seat to be appointed by Democratic Gov. Chet Culver. At least, according to one Slate reader whose idea was chosen as the best of the bunch.
From Slate:
And the winner is … Eric Jaffe, Mill Valley, Calif.!
[The president] bestows a plum appointment to [Iowa Republican] Sen. Chuck Grassley (ambassadorship, U.S. Trade Rep, Secretary of Agriculture, etc.). Grassley avoids what’s seeming more and more like a tough re-election fight against Bob Krause. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver appoints the 60th vote. Done.(This is a totally brilliant solution. I just hope Grassley doesn’t hold out for John Paul Stevens’ seat on the Supreme Court.)
Saying this path to health care legislation is unlikely would be the understatement to end all understatements. Not to mention the fact that Bob Krause is one of only three Democrats that face tough odds in unseating the veteran lawmaker (and most don’t consider him the favorite to win the party’s nomination). But for Democrats wondering how they move on from here, no idea is too outlandish to say out loud.
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