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.
Former gubernatorial hopeful Bob Vander Plaats announced last week that he would forgo an independent run for governor this fall to instead create an organization focused on defeating the three Iowa Supreme Court Justices who are up for a retention vote on the Nov. 2 ballot.
While he offered few details about the new organization, Vander Plaats made it clear it would receive considerable support from national groups hoping to reverse the state Supreme Court’s 2009 decision that legalized same-sex marriage. Now, the first of those relationships has become clear, as the Tupelo, Miss.,-based Christian group American Family Association(AFA) has paid for a new website to promote Vander Plaats’ campaign.
Why is AFA so interested in getting rid of Iowa judges? The group was involved in the effort to pass a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage in California in 2008, a ban that was struck down by a federal court last week. After the ruling, AFA called for the judge to be impeached.
The judge in the California case, Vaughn Walker, is gay. Bryan Fischer, the director of issue analysis for government and public policy at AFA, said Walker’s ruling is, “Exhibit A as to why homosexuals should be disqualified from public office.” Fischer also alleged that Elana Kagan should not have been appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court because, “Although she has not come out of the closet herself, her lesbian partner has, and Ms. Kagan’s sexual preference is an open secret in Washington circles. Her indulgence in sexually aberrant behavior should make her ineligible to serve on the highest court in the land.”
Fischer also concluded in a column written in June that, “gay sex is a form of domestic terrorism.”
AFA boycotted Disney for 8 years due to what they believed was the company’s “promotion of a gay agenda.” In Spring 2005 the AFA launched a boycott of Ford for advertising in gay magazines and donating to gay-rights organizations.
Follow Jason Hancock on Twitter
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter