DES MOINES, Iowa (CNN) - Former Sen. Fred Thompson chose Iowa Thursday to kick-off his bid for the White House, but at least one of his top aides has recently expressed frustration with the Hawkeye State's influence in the presidential nominating process.
"It's time to put America first and make Iowa go last," Karen Hanretty wrote in the Hill's pundits blog on August 10. She recently joined Thompson's presidential campaign as deputy communications director.
Hanretty's primary beef with Iowa lies in the "politics of ethanol," as she puts it.
"Imagine there’s no first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus," she wrote about the state's unique status as being the first to cast a vote in the presidential nominating process. "No need to pander to corn farmers. No politicizing ethanol for votes. No pressure to support hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded ethanol subsidies."
She also goes on to cite two columnists, one from each end of the political spectrum, who criticize ethanol subsidies.
A senior Thompson campaign aide told CNN that political opponents were spreading word of Hanretty’s blog posting, but played down its significance noting that staffers routinely have views different than that of their bosses.
"What matters is that Fred respects Iowa's traditional role,” the senior aide said. “He is the candidate."
- CNN Iowa Producer Chris Welch