US Representative Collin Peterson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture today said the choice of Barack Obama for President is a “no-brainer” for family farmers and the American agriculture industry. Peterson was a key leader in the legislative battle to pass the 2008 Farm Bill. He received widespread praise this summer by securing overwhelming support from both urban and rural Democrats and Republicans to override the Farm Bill veto by President Bush.
In a piece published in the Fergus Falls Daily Journal, here are a few of the comments by Chairman Peterson:
"Senator Obama has represented a key farm state and has maintained an open door to farmers from Illinois. He supported the 2008 Farm Bill, which will provide certainty and stability to producers and the entire farm sector, invest billions of dollars in conservation, and feed tens of millions of low-income families.On the other hand, Senator McCain opposed the Farm Bill and said he would have vetoed it, just like President Bush did. This position has been criticized by leaders of numerous groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers. It indicates to me that Senator McCain is badly out of touch with how agriculture really works in our country.One of the most promising elements in our agricultural economy is the ongoing development of biofuels and other renewable energy sources. Increasing production and use of biofuels and other sources of alternative energy is decreasing our reliance on imported oil, injecting billions of dollars of capital into rural economies, and enhancing our local economies. The industry has grown from a combination of the entrepreneurial spirit and creative innovation found in American agriculture and the successful federal programs that helped lay the foundation for broader investment and growth.Senator Obama strongly understands and supports these “ag-focused” energy development programs and even introduced legislation that created the first mandate for the production of renewable sources of diesel fuel. His leadership on renewable energy earned Senator Obama a Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union and endorsements from a number of Democratic and Republican former Presidents of the National Corn Growers.Senator McCain, on the other hand, has one of the worst records in Congress on renewable fuels. He has repeatedly opposed and voted against all of the key biofuels programs and even said, “Ethanol has absolutely under no circumstances any value whatsoever.”
"Senator Obama has represented a key farm state and has maintained an open door to farmers from Illinois. He supported the 2008 Farm Bill, which will provide certainty and stability to producers and the entire farm sector, invest billions of dollars in conservation, and feed tens of millions of low-income families.
On the other hand, Senator McCain opposed the Farm Bill and said he would have vetoed it, just like President Bush did. This position has been criticized by leaders of numerous groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farmers Union, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, and the National Association of Wheat Growers. It indicates to me that Senator McCain is badly out of touch with how agriculture really works in our country.
One of the most promising elements in our agricultural economy is the ongoing development of biofuels and other renewable energy sources. Increasing production and use of biofuels and other sources of alternative energy is decreasing our reliance on imported oil, injecting billions of dollars of capital into rural economies, and enhancing our local economies. The industry has grown from a combination of the entrepreneurial spirit and creative innovation found in American agriculture and the successful federal programs that helped lay the foundation for broader investment and growth.
Senator Obama strongly understands and supports these “ag-focused” energy development programs and even introduced legislation that created the first mandate for the production of renewable sources of diesel fuel. His leadership on renewable energy earned Senator Obama a Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union and endorsements from a number of Democratic and Republican former Presidents of the National Corn Growers.
Senator McCain, on the other hand, has one of the worst records in Congress on renewable fuels. He has repeatedly opposed and voted against all of the key biofuels programs and even said, “Ethanol has absolutely under no circumstances any value whatsoever.”
To read more of Peterson's piece, please click here: Fergus Falls Daily Journal.
ESPN Outdoors Magazine recently interviewed members of the Montana Sportsmen for Obama Committee to air their views about the upcoming Presidential election. The most immediate threat facing sportsmen today, in their opinion, is the encroachment of private landowners and conversion of public lands where the largest and most highly valued trophy game are to be found. Responsible land use policy, and not gun control, is the greater threat to sportsmen at this time. It is why they were drawn to Barack Obama and not John McCain.
Tony Hoyt (Upper Right), Pat Smith (Middle) and Bill Boland (Left) show off their support — and the results of their hunt — with a handful of nice birds.
Simply put, "Senator Obama shares our values more than Senator McCain," committee member Shane Colton said...."He (Barack Obama) grew up in an urban setting," said Dan Vermillion, another MWFPC commissioner, who with his two brothers runs a fishing and travel charter company out of Livingston, Mont. "But his views on public lands, wildlife habitat and the protection of wildlife species are totally in line with mine, and to me, that's more important than whether he hunts and fishes.""Hunters and anglers are way more sophisticated. They're looking beyond the end of the gun barrel," Doherty said. "They're looking at everything."Everything to the Montana committee begins with access.
To read the entire ESPN Outdoors article click "Blue Montana"
On Wednesday, October 22, Senator Barack Obama laid out his vision for addressing the urgent health care needs of 62 million rural Americans. In response to questions posed by the National Rural Health Care Association, Barack Obama drew attention to the higher rate of uninsured and underinsured Americans in rural America:
“Clearly, a major problem facing rural America is access to affordable quality health insurance coverage. I am committed to signing health legislation by the end of my first term in office that ensures all Americans have high-quality, affordable health care coverage. Joe Biden and I have a plan that builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans...” “…Our plan will help small businesses afford coverage for their employees by offering a voluntary tax credit to them that will cover 50 percent of premiums…” “...They can purchase either a new public plan or choose from a range of private plans for their employees. Small businesses will be exempted from the plan's requirement to pay into the system.”
“Clearly, a major problem facing rural America is access to affordable quality health insurance coverage. I am committed to signing health legislation by the end of my first term in office that ensures all Americans have high-quality, affordable health care coverage.
Joe Biden and I have a plan that builds on and improves our current insurance system, which most Americans continue to rely upon, and leaves Medicare intact for older and disabled Americans...” “…Our plan will help small businesses afford coverage for their employees by offering a voluntary tax credit to them that will cover 50 percent of premiums…” “...They can purchase either a new public plan or choose from a range of private plans for their employees. Small businesses will be exempted from the plan's requirement to pay into the system.”
To read more of Senator Obama’s responses on priority issues in rural health care, please click on this link to the National Rural Health Association.
A bipartisan poll conducted by the Center for Rural Strategies in 13 battleground states of the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast showed Barack Obama leading John McCain, 46% to 45% among likely voters. Although the results show a statistical dead heat, it demonstrates that Barack Obama‘s message of hope and change is resonating widely across rural America.
The Center for Rural Strategies is a non-profit organization based in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The poll was released Wednesday and was conducted in among likely voters in the battleground states of New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Florida, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada.According to a report by Howard Berkes of National Public Radio:
“… The poll of 841 likely voters in rural counties in battleground states was conducted during a three-week period from October 1-21. Rural voters were instrumental in the election and re-election of President Bush, and big Republican margins in rural areas are considered critical to a John McCain victory next month…”
The message of hope for a new American future and a need to change from the failed policies of the past resonated with the crowd of 35,000 Hoosiers gathered to hear Barack Obama Thursday at the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis. The cheers of young FFA students were heard, as Obama expressed his commitment to agricultural and vocational education.
Here is an excerpt of those remarks:
"…And if I'm President, we'll give every child, everywhere the skills and the knowledge they need to compete with any worker, anywhere in the world. I will not allow countries to out-teach us today so they can out-compete us tomorrow. It is time to provide every American with a world-class education. That means investing in early childhood education. That means recruiting an army of new teachers, and paying them better, and giving them more support in exchange for higher standards and more accountability. And it means investing in agricultural education. From seeing all those blue corduroy jackets in the crowd, I know there's a Future Farmers of America convention here in Indianapolis. And I want you to know that if I'm elected President, I will fight for you - because America's farmers are America's future. And it's time we had a President who understood that…"
Full Text of Remarks Delivered in Indianapolis
The future of renewable fuels is quite possibly at stake in the 2008 presidential race. Senator Obama strongly supports policies to expand the production and use of renewable fuels to break our dependence on foreign oil. Senator McCain, on the other hand, has actively opposed these initiatives, and even once said, "Ethanol has absolutely, under no circumstances, any value whatsoever."
This week the Argus Leader published a story that described some biofuels leaders who have recently criticized Senator McCain's views on this important issue.
Ethanol backers take on McCainOpposing incentives 'would devastate S.D.'PETER HARRIMAN • PHARRIMA@ARGUSLEADER.COM • OCTOBER 23, 2008Three prominent ethanol proponents Wednesday warned that Sen. John McCain's longstanding opposition to ethanol tax incentives and the federal renewable fuels standard imperils an industry that is central to the health of South Dakota's farm economy.South Dakota Farmers Union leader Doug Sombke, Orrie Swayze of Wilmot, an ethanol pioneer in this state, and Mike O'Connor, former South Dakota director of the Farm Service Agency, spoke during a news conference at South Dakota Democratic Party Headquarters in what was the first volley fired in the presidential race. They said, if elected, McCain would attempt to do away with the renewable fuels standard, the blender's credit that has allowed ethanol to compete with petroleum in the past decade, and he would remove the tariff on imported ethanol that has shielded the U.S. industry from Brazil's huge ethanol production.Sombke said McCain as president "would devastate South Dakota, kill the biofuels industry, and dramatically lower the price of corn. ... A vote for John McCain is a vote to cut pay to the farmers by 50 percent.".That financial effect would be deadly to an ethanol industry socked by a cash flow crunch, Swayze said. "You would see a crisis become a catastrophe.".McCain's North Mountain Regional Office spokesman, Tom Steward, said while McCain considers ethanol "an important fuel of choice," the ethanol industry has matured to the point "the market should play a greater role in making sure there is healthy competition," and government support for it should be reduced. But Swayze pointed to a study that suggests ethanol has reduced the cost of a gallon of fuel by 40 cents."The taxpayer is not subsidizing the ethanol industry. The ethanol industry is subsidizing every one of us who buys gas," he said. "It's the best investment with the tax code the taxpayer ever made."The 51-cent-per-gallon blender's credit is authorized through 2010. Steward said McCain would have little latitude to reduce or eliminate the renewable fuels standard because it has been reauthorized and expanded by Congress. He also said while McCain does favor removing the tariff on imported ethanol, it is in keeping with a larger philosophy that most trade barriers should be eliminated to expand free trade opportunities for U.S. farmers.Meanwhile, Sen. Barack Obama has worked with Sen. John Thune on legislation advancing the use of blender pumps.Reach reporter Peter Harriman at 575-3615..
Many respected and influential sportsmen recognize that Senator Obama is the best candidate to advance their interests. Several prominent sportsmen with strong records of supporting the 2nd amendment and broader conservation efforts explain clearly why they back Obama.
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico offered the following endorsement:
Barack Obama understands that sportsmen and women want to protect habitat as well as their 2nd Amendment Rights. As an avid hunter and angler in my home state of New Mexico, these issues are close to my heart. I know that Barack Obama is the candidate who will protect America's wild lands and waters for future generations of sportsmen and women to enjoy.
Representative John Dingell of Michigan also explained his support:
Only one candidate, Barack Obama, will actively fight to protect our open spaces where we as sportsmen and women take our families to share in the joys of hunting and fishing. It's common sense that no matter how many firearms we own, without the land to hunt on, we won't be able to enjoy these activities and pass them on to our children. Barack Obama stands ready to ensure that we have both the right and the ability to enjoy America's wild places. He has pledged to uphold the 2nd Amendment and protect our gun rights.
We encourage you to check out the other endorsements from such key sportsmen advocates as Representative Mike Thompson of California, the longest serving co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa, and Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin.
Senator Barack Obama today issued the following statement regarding the passing of Tony Dean, the renowned sportsman, outdoors radio and television broadcaster, and wildlife habitat and environmental advocate:
Tony Dean was committed to his fellow sportsmen and determined to protect our precious habitats - and unafraid to voice his opinions on both. I was honored to have his endorsement, and as President, I will continue to fight for those causes he held dear. His passing is a tremendous loss for sportsmen and conservationists alike. Michelle, the Bidens and I extend our thoughts and prayers to Tony's family and friends.
John McCain: Well, one of them would be the marketing assistance program. Another one would be a number of subsidies for ethanol. I oppose subsidies for ethanol because I thought it distorted the market and created inflation; Senator Obama supported those subsidies. I would eliminate the tariff on imported sugarcane-based ethanol from Brazil.
John McCain: So the point is, with nuclear power, with wind, tide, solar, natural gas, with the development of flex fuel, hybrid, clean coal technology, clean coal technology is a key in the heartland of America that is hurting rather badly. So I think we can easily within seven, eight, ten years, if we put our minds to it, we can eliminate our dependence on the places in the world that harm our national security if we don't achieve our independence from it.
THE FACTS: MCCAIN’S OPPOSITION TO RENEWABLE ENERGY MCCAIN HAS REPEATEDLY OPPOSED IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND OPPOSED A BIPARTISAN BILL TO REMOVE TAX BREAKS FOR OIL COMPANIES TO INCREASE INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGYMcCain Voted At Least Nine Times Against Tax Incentives For Renewable Or Alternative Energy. [2006 Senate Vote #42; 2005 Senate Vote #363, #213; 2003 Senate Vote #317; 2002 Senate Vote #94, #77; 2001 Senate Vote #125; 1999 Senate Vote #171; 1992 Senate Vote #150, 7/23/1992]McCain Voted At Least Four Times Against Renewable Energy Mandates. [2005 Senate Vote #141, 6/16/2005; 2002 Senate Vote #59, 3/21/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #58, 3/21/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #55, 3/21/2002]McCain Voted At Least Twelve Times Against Renewable And Alternative Fuel Mandates. [2005 Senate Vote #139, #138; 2004 Senate Vote #73; 2003 Senate Vote #317, #209, #207, #206, #204, #203; 2002 Senate Vote #91, #78; 1992 Senate Vote #150]FactCheck.org: While McCain Claims He Has Voted For Alternate Fuel “All Of My Time,” His “Record Says Differently. … He May Be In Favor Of Alternative Energy In Theory, But He Has Declined Opportunities To Support It.” While McCain said “I have voted for alternate fuel all of my time. ... No one can be opposed to alternate energy,” his “record says differently. … He has voted against funding for alternative energy on 11 occasions. He may be in favor of alternative energy in theory, but he has declined opportunities to support it.” [FactCheck.org, 9/27/08] McCain Spokesman: McCain Opposes A Bipartisan Compromise to Expand Drilling On Domestic Oil Production Because of Provisions that Would End Tax Breaks for Oil Companies. “A spokesman for Sen. McCain said that while he ‘applauds the bipartisan effort,’ he wouldn't support the proposal because ‘he cannot and will not support legislation that raises taxes.’" [Wall Street Journal, 8/2/08]McCain Was The Only Senator To Miss A Vote On Legislation To Revoke $13.5 Billion In Tax Breaks From The Five Largest Oil Companies To Invest In Renewable Energy; McCain’s Staff Noted That He Would Have Opposed The Bill Had He Voted. John McCain supported the filibuster of the 2007 energy bill that would have stripped tax cuts for oil companies and instead fund tax incentives for renewable energy. While McCain was the only senator to miss the vote on the bill, according to his staff he did, in fact, support continuing the filibuster. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the bill that was defeated “would have revoked $13.5 billion in tax breaks from the five largest oil companies. The money would have been redirected into tax incentives for solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, wave energy and other renewables. … But the measure failed on a 59-40 vote, falling one vote shy of the 60 votes needed to end debate and move the bill forward.” [HR 6, Senate Vote 425, 12/13/07, Failed 59-40: R 9-39 D 48-1 I 2-0; Forbes, 12/13/07; San Francisco Chronicle, 12/14/07]
Affordable, accessible healthcare is essential to the 62 million Americans who call rural America home, and it is an important engine of the economy. In many rural communities, the hospital or health sector is the largest single employer, providing numerous employment opportunities. My comprehensive plan will cover the uninsured by building on the existing health care system, and using existing providers, doctors and insurance plans. It will strengthen employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensure patient choice of doctor and care without interference from government, or insurance company bureaucrats. And I’ve laid out the steps we’ll take to increase efficiency and lower costs by up to $2,500 per year for the typical family. For more details on my plan, please go to BarackObama.com/Healthcare. However, I am also acutely aware that extending insurance coverage is a hollow victory if there are no facilities and providers available. That’s why I will take concrete steps to address this geographic inequity. I will work to fix the historical disparity in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates in which rural providers often get paid less than their urban counterparts when they perform the same procedure. I will create loan forgiveness and related types of incentive programs to help attract health care providers to rural areas. I will increase the federal capital available to build start up community health centers, many of which are in underserved rural areas. And I will also increase access to health care in rural areas by promoting the wider adoption of effective telecommunications and health information technologies. My administration will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system toward broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems. Finally, we must not forget our rural veterans who have served our country so bravely. The Obama-Biden administration will increase the number of Veterans Affairs (VA) centers serving our rural veterans. We will also fight efforts to weaken the VA by outsourcing critical competencies, while ensuring that we give the VA the tools and flexibility to contract with other health care providers in remote areas where there is inadequate access to a VA medical center or it is impractical to build one.
As your President, I will need the best information and counsel available. Organizations such as yours are an important source of the counsel and support needed to improve wealth care in rural America. I hope I can count on you and your 18,000 members to help me create a quality of life for rural America that is the envy of the rest of the world.
When moderator Jim Lehrer asked presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama Sept. 29 what budget “priorities” each would “adjust” because of the pending $700 billion financial bailout, Obama, answering first, focused on federal programs he’d fix rather than fat he’d cut -- energy, education, health care, rural broadband.Lehrer then turned to McCain. The Arizonan looked straight into the television camera, then buried a knife between the shoulder blades of farmers. “First of all,” he said, “I’d eliminate ethanol subsidies.”There was no second choice: no mention of corporate tax evasion, defense contractor fraud or even the $400-million-per-week war in Iraq. McCain’s outspoken disdain for ethanol made it the only “priority” either candidate offered for “adjustment.”(Obama, from the second largest corn-producing state in America, Illinois, long ago drank the ethanol Kool-Aid.)Despite his well-known opposition to ethanol’s tax subsidies, it still took guts for McCain to slap farmers while 50 million, wanting-to-be-green Americans watched.…“I begged his campaign to soften his stance,” says Fred Yoder, an Ohio farmer and the 2002/03 president of the National Corn Growers Association, ethanol’s biggest booster.“But every time I’d ask, he’d dug his heels in deeper. I began to take it personally.”Shortly thereafter, Yoder, who calls himself as a “free market social conservative,” helped form an ad-hoc, “Corn Growers for Obama” group with five other past NCGA presidents.“It boiled down to a simple question for me,” says Yoder, a long-time Republican, “Is my party supposed to represent me or am I supposed to represent my party?”…Twenty-two current or former state directors, commissioners and secretaries of ag from Maine to Montana, have endorsed Obama because the Illinoisan favors policies, they say, like “affordable health care,” fair access to markets, “transparency in prices” and, of course, “renewable fuels,” “to improve the quality of life in rural America.”Whoa, daddy. Farmers for Obama? We’re deep into the rabbit hole now.
Gordon Stine, a former president of Illinois Farmers Union, described his support for Obama:
I am a farmer from Illinois, as is my father and his father, back five generations. I have worked with Senator Obama for the last five years. It is so clear Sen Obama will be and has been great for farmers. Senator Obama is a Christian and one of the most admirable people I have ever known.
Mike Dombeck, former Chief of the US. Forest Service and Director of the Bureau of Land Management, outlined the reasons why he believes the interests of hunters and anglers are best would be best served by an Obama administration.
This is the time of the year that Wisconsin's hunters and anglers live for, as they hit the woods and waters for deer, grouse, waterfowl or muskies. To best protect their heritage and interests, sportsmen and women should take some time to carefully assess the positions and records of the presidential candidates and their political parties regarding fish and wildlife conservation in Wisconsin and the rest of this country.Gun ownership is the top issue for most hunters I know. They want their Second Amendment right to possess and use firearms. Contrary to a highly inaccurate flyer sent out by the National Rifle Association, there is virtually no difference between Barack Obama and John McCain on guns. …The real difference between the candidates concerns fish and wildlife habitat conservation programs and public access to hunting and fishing. The Bush administration, with the support of Senator John McCain, has greatly reduced key conservation programs.
This is the time of the year that Wisconsin's hunters and anglers live for, as they hit the woods and waters for deer, grouse, waterfowl or muskies. To best protect their heritage and interests, sportsmen and women should take some time to carefully assess the positions and records of the presidential candidates and their political parties regarding fish and wildlife conservation in Wisconsin and the rest of this country.Gun ownership is the top issue for most hunters I know. They want their Second Amendment right to possess and use firearms. Contrary to a highly inaccurate flyer sent out by the National Rifle Association, there is virtually no difference between Barack Obama and John McCain on guns. …
The real difference between the candidates concerns fish and wildlife habitat conservation programs and public access to hunting and fishing. The Bush administration, with the support of Senator John McCain, has greatly reduced key conservation programs.
He offered several examples, a few of we highlight below the fold.
[McCain] continues to ignore studies that have proven the impact of corn prices on overall food costs is minimal by comparison to gasoline and diesel costs. Oil prices this year have been by far the largest contributor to food inflation and virtually any other inflationary concern in America today.
The inconsistency of U.S. energy policies threatens all attempts to move the country toward alternatives to foreign oil, and that includes wind, solar, geothermal, cellulosic development and all other forms of renewables that are necessary in the 21st century. To undo all the efforts, especially those designed to actually reduce demand for foreign oil, would be a major step backward for all--except of course the oil companies. McCain's opposition to the farm bill, and all of its subsidies is well known, but someone needs to inform The Maverick from Arizona that ethanol demand has lowered corn subsidies tremendously, and will do so for decades to come if the government would stay the course on energy policies.…While McCain states he favors cellulosic development, he clearly does not understand that in order to move to cellulosic ethanol, one needs to guarantee the market that is underwritten by today's corn-based ethanol business. Without that market, incentives to create cellulosic ethanol disappear, and of course predictably, so would the investment.Fortunately, ethanol enjoys wide support from both Republicans and Democrats across the country. They will not be inclined to support an administration bent on undoing all the progress made to reduce dependency on foreign oil.
John McClung, President of the Texas Produce Association, assesses the differences between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. His op-ed in The Packer discusses their positions relevant to produce farmers and offers this conclusion:
I come from a long line of Republicans. I’ve counted myself a moderate Republican for a long time. I was a political appointee in both terms of the Reagan administration. I’ve admired John McCain’s gutsy willingness to take on his own party — especially the hard right —when he felt the need.But in the end, Barack Obama is the future of U.S. agriculture and of the nation. John McCain is a courageous hero, but he is the past.
I come from a long line of Republicans. I’ve counted myself a moderate Republican for a long time. I was a political appointee in both terms of the Reagan administration. I’ve admired John McCain’s gutsy willingness to take on his own party — especially the hard right —when he felt the need.
But in the end, Barack Obama is the future of U.S. agriculture and of the nation. John McCain is a courageous hero, but he is the past.
The National Journal's Congress Daily reported on reactions from agricultural leaders to Senator John McCain's recent pledge to abolish all farm subsidies:
The National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and key commodity group leaders are denouncing Sen. John McCain's recent statements that he would end ethanol and farm subsidies on grounds that they raise food prices. Speaking Wednesday in Missouri, the GOP presidential candidate argued that subsidies "inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world." Tom Buis, president of the Democratic-leaning National Farmers Union, Friday called those comments disappointing and said McCain "has a long record of opposing the interests of rural America, the farm bill, weather-related disaster programs, [and] country-of-origin labeling." But criticism did not just come from the left. Mary Kay Thatcher, a lobbyist for the Republican-leaning Farm Bureau, said McCain "needs to understand that eliminating subsidies pits American farmers against farmers around the world and their governments." She warned that dropping subsidies unilaterally would weaken the U.S. bargaining position in trade talks.Most members of commodity group members are GOP-leaning farmers, but their leaders came down hard on McCain. "It is no accident that American consumers spend less of their disposable income on food than any country in the world," said National Association of Wheat Growers CEO Daren Coppock. "This fact is a result of our nation's investment in farm policy." National Association of Corn Growers President Bob Dickey said his group would "respectfully disagree" with McCain and argued against a direct link between subsidies and high commodity prices. American Soybean Association CEO Steve Censky said his group is "very disappointed" in McCain's position. …McCain's comments also drew fire from Steve Verrett, executive vice president of the Plains Cotton Growers. "Americans who have had it with our dependence on foreign oil will not respond well to policies that would also make us dependent on foreign food, especially with stories about tainted milk and candy from China," he said. …"The farm safety net has been a bipartisan fixture for decades and is critical to our farm economy and food security," said an Obama campaign spokesman. "Our investments in renewable fuels are leading America toward energy independence." House Agriculture Chairman Collin Peterson said McCain's comments show "he lacks any clear knowledge or understanding about how agriculture in this country works." Senate Agriculture Chairman Tom Harkin argued that very little money for U.S. farm programs is in fact holding up commodity and food prices. "McCain has ... attacked even the farm income protection safety net, which is designed to help farmers stay in business when prices and incomes fall," said Harkin. "The majority of this farm income safety net has nothing to do with holding up the price of farm commodities and thus the price consumers pay for food."
In a speech yesterday about his plan to vote for the package before Congress to address the financial crisis, Senator John McCain reiterated his commitment to eliminating federal support for American agriculture:
"And my administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods. These subsidies inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world, and I propose to abolish them." - John McCain, October 1, 2008
"And my administration will reduce the price of food by eliminating the subsidies for ethanol and agricultural goods. These subsidies inflate the price of food, not only for Americans but for people in poverty across the world, and I propose to abolish them."
- John McCain, October 1, 2008
"There is abundant evidence that broadband technology can promote economic growth, energy efficiency, improved education programs and better health care," [Verizon executive Link] Hoewing wrote. "Relatively small investments in broadband can encourage substantial returns in economic growth, new jobs and innovation."
The article was inspired by Senator Obama’s words Friday night:
Read more of the article
From the National Corn Growers Association:
Presidential Candidates on the Issues The National Corn Growers Association has asked the two major candidates for president, Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), to address some of the top issues important to corn growers. Click Here for the response received from Sen. Obama. We will post the response from Sen. McCain when we receive it.
Presidential Candidates on the Issues
The National Corn Growers Association has asked the two major candidates for president, Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), to address some of the top issues important to corn growers. Click Here for the response received from Sen. Obama. We will post the response from Sen. McCain when we receive it.
Obama's responses covered the Farm Bill and safety net, ethanol and renewable energy, taxes, infrastructure, trade and environmental regulation. We hope you'll read the entire thing to learn the details of his positions. The following letter from Senator Obama also accompanied his explanation of his positions on issues:
Over the past eighteen months, I’ve seen the best of America in rural communities all across this country. I’ve seen hard work and innovation. I’ve seen rugged independence joined with a belief in community that says in America, we rise and fall together. But what I’ve also seen is that rural America is struggling. Our economy is in turmoil. Families in the heartland are being squeezed by the rising cost of health care and energy and wages that aren’t keeping pace. And more and more farmers are worrying because even though some commodity prices are higher, input costs are higher as well. This isn’t just a string of bad luck. The truth is, while you’ve been living up to your responsibilities, Washington has not. And at this defining moment, when the stakes could not be higher, rural America needs change. My opponent, Senator McCain, has suddenly started saying he’ll bring about that change. But it didn’t help farmers when he opposed the 2008 Farm Bill and supported George Bush’s veto. I was proud to support the Farm Bill and its Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program that gives farmers and corn growers everywhere a hand. It wasn’t perfect legislation, and as President, I’ll pursue further reforms – but I won’t turn my back on legislation that works for rural America. This election is our chance to bring about the change our farms and rural areas so desperately need. I’m proud of my record on rural issues in Illinois. Now it’s time you had a President who understands that when we strengthen our rural communities, we lift up our entire nation. That’s why I’ve developed a comprehensive rural agenda based on conversations with farmers and families across our nation’s heartland. My plan will drive down the cost of health care, provide middle class families with a tax break, ensure that farmers have a robust safety net, and invest in critical rural infrastructure like schools and hospitals. That’s the change we need.
Over the past eighteen months, I’ve seen the best of America in rural communities all across this country. I’ve seen hard work and innovation. I’ve seen rugged independence joined with a belief in community that says in America, we rise and fall together.
But what I’ve also seen is that rural America is struggling. Our economy is in turmoil. Families in the heartland are being squeezed by the rising cost of health care and energy and wages that aren’t keeping pace. And more and more farmers are worrying because even though some commodity prices are higher, input costs are higher as well.
This isn’t just a string of bad luck. The truth is, while you’ve been living up to your responsibilities, Washington has not. And at this defining moment, when the stakes could not be higher, rural America needs change.
My opponent, Senator McCain, has suddenly started saying he’ll bring about that change. But it didn’t help farmers when he opposed the 2008 Farm Bill and supported George Bush’s veto. I was proud to support the Farm Bill and its Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) Program that gives farmers and corn growers everywhere a hand. It wasn’t perfect legislation, and as President, I’ll pursue further reforms – but I won’t turn my back on legislation that works for rural America.
This election is our chance to bring about the change our farms and rural areas so desperately need. I’m proud of my record on rural issues in Illinois. Now it’s time you had a President who understands that when we strengthen our rural communities, we lift up our entire nation.
That’s why I’ve developed a comprehensive rural agenda based on conversations with farmers and families across our nation’s heartland. My plan will drive down the cost of health care, provide middle class families with a tax break, ensure that farmers have a robust safety net, and invest in critical rural infrastructure like schools and hospitals. That’s the change we need.
Below is the rest of Senator Obama's letter.
