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.
Iowa Republican insider and 1998 candidate for governor David Oman says he’s been meeting regularly with his old boss, former Gov. Bob Ray, and that the two are looking to back the same GOP presidential candidate.
“I have not made a determination on whom I will support,” Oman tells Iowa Independent. “Gov. Ray and I have had several talks this summer with the aim of landing in the same campaign.”
Oman isn’t giving us any hints about the identity of the Republican who would benefit from Oman’s considerable resume and Ray’s iconic status.
But it was Oman who emailed me months ago and suggested that I pay some attention to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Oman had just had a sit-down with Huckabee and came away impressed.
“I have a great deal of respect for Mike Huckabee as do our previous two governors, Tom Vilsack and Terry Branstad, who obviously don’t agree on a fair number of issues,” Oman said.
Oman said he read Huckabee’s book, “From Hope To Higher Ground,” last February and found it “a little trite in a few spots, but full of logic, common sense, and hard-earned lessons.”
“Huckabee has worked, hard, for everything he’s accomplished,” Oman said. “His life story is compelling beyond the obvious starter topic of his dramatic weight loss.”
Like others, Oman finds it interesting that Huckabee hails from Hope, Ark., home of Bill Clinton.
“The irony of two decade plus governors, very different and both on national stage, from the same tiny town is incredible, too,” Oman said.
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