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.
[Commentary] Ron Gunzburger of Politics1 looks at the McCain campaign and hits the coffin nail on the head:
The McCain campaign is essentially finished, but McCain must continue acting like a real candidate until January to qualify for the federal matching funds he needs to pay off the campaign debt and operating costs for the next few months.
Vital organs and systems are shutting down — McCain's strategy in the Hawkeye State seems to be reverting to his 2000 Screw Iowa strategy as he spent the weekend in New Hampshire.
So terminal, on life support, with no hope for recovery. Much like GOP cause celebre Terri Schiavo was.
Elsewhere on the GOP second tier — for that's really where McCain is now — Sam Brownback was seen in Iowa this weekend campaigning with Terri Schiavo's brother. Which really says all one needs to know about Brownback's appeal.
The Quad Cities Times looks at the rivalry on the right between Brownback and Mike Huckabee.
Conservatives can choose between the red meat served by Brownback and the balanced meal served by Huckabee. Each man hopes to emerge in Iowa as the top alternative to Mitt Romney, the candidate who leads in polls and fundraising.
Both very conservative, but very different, and there's not room for both after Ames.
Huckabee gets the quote of the weekend and shows actual compassionate conservatism in the Register:
An observer asked why Huckabee uses the term "illegal immigrant" instead of "alien."
Tom Tancredo, another Republican presidential candidate, has defended his use of "alien" on the campaign trail to describe people in the country illegally.
"Well, 'alien' sounds like they are from outer space," Huckabee said. "They are fellow human beings."
Tom Tancredo, on the other hand, continues to push the envelope of Know-Nothing nativism. Last week he introduced legislation that would keep children of undocumented immigrants from becoming citizens. Now he wants to deport children who already are citizens: "I still say: You deport the parents, the child goes with them," he said.
The Register has a twofer on the GOP and immigration: a story on how the issue is driving the race and a handy dandy chart on the candidates.
And finally, Jim Gilmore earns his biggest news day of the campaign by dropping out. Any bets on who's next? My money's on Duncan Hunter.
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