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.
Incumbent U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, released his first radio ad Tuesday, going straight to attack-mode against his opponent, Republican state Sen. Brad Zaun. The ad hits Zaun for his opposition to subsidies for Iowa farmers, an area where he has been criticized by both the left and the right.
The spot includes audio of Zaun stating, “A farmer said, ‘What are you going to do for me and the biofuels industry?’ and I said, ‘nothing.’” The ad switches tone about halfway through, turning to describe Boswell’s support for ethanol subsidies and opposition to companies that create jobs in other countries.
Both The Cook Report and CQ rate Boswell’s seat as lean Democrat, but it will likely be a prime target in the Republican Party’s quest to regain the U.S. House in November. Boswell has won by narrow margins in recent elections considering the general Democratic wave in 2006 and 2008. He was first elected in 1996.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targeted the seat when it purchased television ad time for 40 districts in July. But Zaun was not included when the National Republican Congressional Committee revealed their similar list early Tuesday.
Listen to Boswell’s ad below:
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