Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad is brushing off entertainer Cher's criticism about hog crates.
Cher posted a message on Twitter Tuesday asking why Iowa farmers "torture pigs" in narrow gestation crates, and calling New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie a "bully" for his stance on the issue.
Christie recently vetoed legislation outlawing gestation crates in New Jersey. New Jersey has few hogs, but some argue that Christie is influenced by the early voting status of Iowa, a state that raises more than 20 million hogs annually. Christie is weighing a bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Branstad has dismissed that characterization. On Wednesday he responded to Cher, saying, "They know a lot about pig production out there in Hollywood."
A Christie spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
