Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is the most powerful politician in the state.  He is the longest serving governor in the history of the United States, having first been elected in 1982, serving until 1999, then running again and winning in 2010.  Branstad has never endorsed a candidate for his states' caucuses.  So his surprising denunciation of Ted Cruz may alter the race in the final 12 days before the voting begins. Branstad is a big booster of ethanol subsidies.  Cruz wants them phased out over a five-year period.  The clash is more than philosophical, as both men think they are standing on principle.  Rather, it is the latest schism between the GOP establishment and a rebel movement now clearly led by Ted Cruz that looks to alter the power dynamic in Washington to favor strong conservatives. CNN: Speaking to a small group of reporters at the Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit in Altoona, where several 2016 presidential candidates are...(Read Full Post)