Fiegen challenges Conlin's grasp of farm issues, claims she helped farmers

By Charlotte Eby

Des Moines Bureau

DES MOINES – U.S. Senate candidate Tom Fiegen questioned fellow Democratic candidate Roxanne Conlin's knowledge of farm issues and challenged her claim that she helped family farms at risk of foreclosure.

The confrontation occurred Friday during a taping of Iowa Public Television's “Iowa Press,” during a discussion of the farm bill and subsidies.

“The 2008 farm bill was supposed to be targeted to independent family farmers, but it hasn't worked out that way, and 75 percent of the money goes to 10 percent of the farmers,” said Conlin, a Des Moines lawyer.

Fiegen, a bankruptcy lawyer and former state lawmaker from Clarence, questioned Conlin's handle on the topic.

“I'm not sure Roxanne knows enough about agriculture to vote on the bill,” Fiegen said. “I asked her last night about No. 2 corn; she didn't know what No. 2 corn was.”

The corn Fiegen was referring to is the grade of corn typically found in Iowa.

Conlin pledged to brush up on No. 2 corn and “other esoteric subjects and definitions, and the like.”

“I think that I'm a pretty quick study,” Conlin said, noting that her grandfather was a farmer.

Fiegen also tried to cast doubt on Conlin's claims that she helped farmers at risk of foreclosure. He said he couldn't find in his own database search any such cases, and challenged her to name a published case where she saved a family farmer from foreclosure.

Conlin said much of the work she did was negotiating on behalf of farmers with banks.

“I'm not surprised that there are no published cases, but indeed that was the kind of work that I did in the 80s,” Conlin said.

Conlin, Fiegen and candidate Bob Krause of Fairfield are battling for their party's nomination in the June 8 primary. The winner will take on Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in November's general election.