McCain Alienates Iowa Republicans
by Linda Thieman
I mean, really — with John McCain way behind Barack Obama in the Iowa polls, why was he wasting his time here last week? Why not just pull his minuscule Iowa staff and run, as he was forced to do with his fairly substantial staff on the ground in Michigan last week? And is it really wise for him to alienate Iowa Republicans by announcing he is against ethanol subsidies and that he would cut them immediately as his first act as president? According to the McCain vs. Iowa website, “biofuels have added 10% to Iowa’s 2007 GDP and have supported the creation of more than 96,000 Iowa jobs throughout the state.”
Something clearly is not right with the way McCain is running his own campaign. The message is off, and Iowa Republicans are worried about McCain's effect on the Iowa economy.
So, McCain wants to cut ethanol subsidies and yet stop shipping more money overseas. Said Senator Chuck Grassley, “You can't have it both ways. If you want a new industry, it is going to take some government incentives to get it started.” The oil industry started with subsidies, Grassley said, “and those subsidies are still in place.” [DTN Progressive Farmer, 9/10/08]
Iowa's Republican Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, “vehemently disagree[s] with [McCain] as far as whether that policy makes sense or not.” [Radio Iowa, 9/29/08]
Click here to learn more about “McCain vs. Iowa.”
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