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.
Lt. Dan Choi — the West Point graduate, Iraq veteran, Arabic linguist and arguably most forceful advocate for repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” — had a simple question for Defense Secretary Robert Gates after Gates’ announcement of changes to the implementation of the ban on open gay military service.
“Why would anybody believe this is, in any way, restoring the humanity of the service?” Choi asked during a phone interview.
For Choi, the issue comes down to integrity. “What’s inhumane about ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is the fact that soldiers have to lie,” he said. “It’s the only federal policy that enforces shame, particularly because these are soldiers willing to risk their lives to protect America.” The measure of the Obama administration’s seriousness to repeal, Choi argued, is its unwillingness to place a provision repealing it in the Defense Authorization Bill and daring senators to filibuster the Pentagon’s funding vehicle.
“What will pave the way for full repeal is a recognition and cognizance on the part of the administration,” Choi said, “that the fundamental reason to get rid of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is that it sacrifices, violates and compromises the integrity of all soldiers, not just gay soldiers.”
Choi was arrested after leading a protest to the gates of the White House last week to pressure President Barack Obama to live up to his pledge of ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” this year. At a Human Rights Campaign dinner last fall, Obama encouraged equal-rights activists to “continue to pressure leaders — including me,” and Choi said he took Obama’s words “as an order.”
Choi also called on Iowa Gov. Chet Culver to speak out on the issue as the commander-in-chief of the Iowa National Guard. Culver declined, saying it wasn’t a state issue.
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