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 Iowa Republican Congressman Jim Leach (right) speaks with Cedar Rapids businessman Bill Aossey following a Republicans for Obama event Friday morning.It hasn't necessarily been a good week for Republicans.
Despite a rush of Republican pundits to applaud Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s performance in the vice presidential debate, GOP supporters awoke to polls indicating that most uncommitted voters favored Delaware Sen. Joe Biden’s performance.
Nine-term Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest told the Washington Post that his own party has “become more narrow, self-serving, more centered around ‘I want, I want, I want’.”
“We’re in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean … very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around,” Gilchrest said. “Voting according to your knowledge and experience — that’s out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it.”
In Iowa, Republican leaders had the added frustration of watching a man from their side of the political aisle — a man they’d sent to Congress for more than 30 years — host a “Republicans for Obama” event. Congressman Jim Leach, who served Iowa’s 2nd District until an unexpected 2006 loss to Democratic challenger Dave Loebsack, was introduced at the Obama event by Don Palmer, a Linn County Republican who twice sought election to the Iowa House.
Leach, speaking with Iowa Independent after the event in Cedar Rapids, wasn’t prepared to go quite that far. Leach said that he alone was responsible for the 2006 campaign that ended his career in Congress, but acknowledged that “everyone knows there is a [national] background with which one campaigns.”
“I have to hold myself accountable [for 2006], and would not put that on anyone else,” he said when asked if he felt the climate generated by the current White House administration was partially to blame for his defeat. “In terms of the Republican Party, there have been choices made that are causing the Republican Party to take on a different dimension. There have also been policies made that all governments have to be accountable for.
“Obviously, successful administrations build successful parties while weaker administrations weaken parties. It would be hard to consider this a successful administration at this stage.”
While speaking with those gathered at the event for Obama, the former congressman spoke about his decision to endorse the Democratic nominee for president despite his personal affection for Arizona Sen. John McCain.
“I simply don’t know anyone in the legislature — from either side of the aisle — that isn’t impressed with Barack,” Leach said, adding that Obama has surrounded himself with “good people.” He also said that Obama’s use of “change” — a campaign slogan that Leach believes has become even more relevant as the election season has progressed — has been somewhat distorted.
“What [Obama] is saying is that we will go back to the way things were previously,” he said, noting the recent power-grabs by the Bush administration.
“There are aspects of this administration that are not consistent with American history,” Leach said. “The word that comes to mind is ‘aberration.’”
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