Breaking News: Vilsack will be ag secretary

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

Published Tuesday December 16, 2008
Breaking News: Vilsack will be ag secretary
BY MIKE GLOVER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama has selected former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary, according to Democratic sources familiar with the selection process said.

Obama will announce the appointment of Vilsack on Wednesday, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the selection before the announcement.

Vilsack will be the fourth former opponent of Obama in the 2008 Democratic primaries to join his new administration. Others include Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been tapped for secretary of state, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, selected to head the Commerce Department.


Tom Vilsack

Vilsack positioned himself in the presidential campaign as a Washington outsider with heartland appeal, but he dropped out after poor showings in early primaries. He endorsed Clinton and campaigned actively for her in the long primary campaign against Obama. After Obama defeated Clinton, Vilsack endorsed him.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=105160...

[UpInArms]

1. good choice!

I'm always glad to see someone with the actual qualifications for something, get the job!



way to go Vilsack! (and Obama!)

[Critters2]

9. What are his qualifications? nt

[UpInArms]

11. here's the Des Moines Register's take on it

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081114/NEWS1... /

I like Vilsack - he's the former governor of Iowa - state north of where I live and he did a fine job there (imho) of keeping a wonderful state going forward.

[Debi]

14. Is that why Iowans underwhelmingly supported him for President

and also rejected his choice for Governor (and his former staff member as Iowa's Secretary of Ag)?

[Critters2]

16. Again with the facts?! nt

[Debi]

20. Championing GMOs doesn't necessarily make a person an Ag expert

[Critters2]

21. No. Living in Iowa does. nt

[Duende azul]

28. Like living in Alaska makes you an foreign policy expert

[Critters2]

29. We can see corn from here!

[question everything]

50. But being a governor of Iowa does

The Ag secretary has to deal with the various price support, and trade, and small family owned and large, corporation farms. And Iowa is right in the middle of this.

To try to compare the governor of Iowa and his understanding of the ag industry with Alaska and foreign policy shows your complete ignorance.

On the other hand, a governor of Alaska can and should have an understanding of oil drilling and transportation.

[Freddie Stubbs]

37. He dropped out of the race almost a year before the Iowa Caucuses

[Debi]

38. I am aware n/t

[Debi]

12. His close relationship w/Monsato and other biotech companies

[KoKo]

40. Ohhh...nooooo... I hope he doesn't really support GMO's...not good...

[Debi]

44. Just type Vilsack + Monsanto in your search engine n/t

[Mojambo]

2. I believe the response to any news concerning Tom Vilsack will be the same.

Meh!

[Botany]

3. Man is Obama good

Picking somebody who knows about Ag. to head the Dept. of Ag.

[Debi]

15. What does Tom Vilsack know about Ag? n/t

[Critters2]

17. He lives in Iowa, of course! See my post no. 10. nt

[chelaque liberal]

4. From the Organic Consumers Association

Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto's Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head is a Terrible Idea
OCA, November 12, 2008
Nov. 12, 2008

* Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's support of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, especially pharmaceutical corn:
http://www.gene.ch/genet/2002/Oct/msg00057.html
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/drugsincorn10230...

* The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership.
http://www.bio.org/news/pressreleases/newsitem.asp?id=2... ...

* When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.

* Vilsack was the origin of the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, which many people here in Iowa fought because it took away local government's possibility of ever having a regulation on seeds- where GE would be grown, having GE-free buffers, banning pharma corn locally, etc. Representative Sandy Greiner, the Republican sponsor of the bill, bragged on the House Floor that Vilsack put her up to it right after his state of the state address.

* Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocated across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack's history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid. An activist from the west coast even made this youtube animation about Vilsack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmoc4Qgcm4s
The airplane in this animation is a referral to the controversy that Vilsack often traveled in Monsanto's jet.

*Vilsack is an ardent support of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.

[madrchsod]

6. he`s working for obama not monsanto now

and we need to keep his feet to the fire when it comes to ge grains. bio fuels is a mixed bag...bio fuel should be used in the production of food not automobiles

[Raksha]

8. I was aware of some of this but not all of it...

I already signed a petition (I believe circulated by the Organic Consumers' Association) recommending against Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. I thought his name had been withdrawn in response to public pressure, but it appears not to be true.

This is very disappointing--Vilsack is no friend of organic agriculture.

[madrchsod]

5. he keeps picking the big hitters----what a great pick!

[Faygo Kid]

7. Iowa? What the hell does an Iowa governor know about agriculture?

Oh - that's right.

Must have confused it with Singapore.

Never mind.

[Critters2]

10. Yeah. Everybody in Iowa is an expert in Ag.

He could've just opened the Grinnell phonebook and picked anyone at random, and they could've done the job.

[Jane Austin]

13. Oooh! Rachel Maddow will be happy!

She has a crush on Vilsak.

Well, she calls it a crush.

[mattvermont]

18. As a native Iowan

and an organic farmer now in Vermont, I am deeply disturbed by Vilsack's history with Corporate agriculture. In particular, his love of Monsanto and GMO's.
As you have seen above, there were some real bold and progressive choices that would have been much better.

[Debi]

19. Agreed, Matt.

And welcome to DU

[mattvermont]

23. Thanks Debi

I have been around here daily for years..just don't post much. Have always enjoyed your words from the heartland.
This is what I just wrote to change.gov:
I have been in the bag for you since the beginning. I am an organic farmer and a native Iowan. I am appalled at your choice to continue the destruction of healthy food production, with your choice for Ag secretary. Food policy is national security, and you just threw it all away. Food isnt even grown in Iowa any more. I guess the Pharma industry will be happy that they can sell more diabetes drugs to the world as corn syrup becomes the gold standard of the world. MEH

[illuminaughty]

55. Nice response. Welcome to DU

They're killing the world with this stuff. This appointment is extremely important. Looks like another nod to the corp. world.

[LostinVA]

34. AN IOWAN IN THE CABINET?!

WTF is happening to our country?!

[Debi]

39. Not AN Iowan

THAT Iowan....

[Critters2]

22. Welcome! Thanks for the work that you do!

[Pastiche423]

24. What a great choice!

DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads. DlCers and Clinton retreads.

[Critters2]

26. Yeah. There's that, too. Former chair of the DLC.

But then, I voted for the progressive populist in the primaries.

[Pastiche423]

35. For the past eight years

I've not been able to vote for who I wanted in the primaries - my state's primary is in May.

[KoKo]

41. Maybe Evan Bayh will be picked as head of FCC! What Next?

[Pastiche423]

54. Ssssssssssh!

For cripe's sake, don't give him any ideas!

I have fond memories of Democrats being Democrats, not repubic lite.

[KoKo]

58. lol's...anything is possible these days...I am thinking he will never do this

but...there's always that annoying "flea in the brain" that makes you wonder if his handlers will force him to do it.

I'm brain impaired after EIGHT YEARS OF THE IDIOT! I'll believe ANYTHING...after what some of us have been through...

[Critters2]

49. Yeah! Those damned Iowans and their insistence on participating

in the life of this nation, in spite of being a rural state! Fuck them!!

[Pastiche423]

53. Huh?

[riverdeep]

56. I've always said I'll hold off on any judgement until he's actually in office

and producing results. Then we can evaluate the results instead of projecting the scores ahead of time. I still believe that. But, I find it disturbing that I have to say this so often, that the lion's share of the people he's picked are as you describe.

[TygrBright]

25. Meh. I do NOT like this pick. Vilsack knows nothing about farming, everything about agribusiness.

I hope to hell this isn't an indication of what direction DoA will go in the Obama administration.

I am keeping fingers crossed that the reason for this appointment is Obama wants someone who knows the agribusiness ghouls inside out and can effectively spike their guns and roll some really ag reform right over them, but my hopes are not high.

I am guessing that the agenda now is retaining jobs in the agribusiness sector, which would mean not rocking any boats at Cargill and ADM.

Fooey.

unhappily,
Bright

[mattvermont]

27. some great links

http://eco-chick.com/2008/11/07/an-open-letter-to-presi... /

http://yalesustainablefoodproject.wordpress.com/2008/11... /

http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/12/foodies-pitch-nomine...

This provides a list of some of the best candidates, for those not following

[Tashca]

30. Great choice

As a sixth generation Iowan….and an Agriculture expert. This is a great choice.
I’ve know Tom since he was mayor of Mt. Pleasant. I worked on his campaign staff when he first ran for State Senate. I served on his agricultural advisory committee.

I vividly remember when as a Lawyer and Mayor…he agreed to take on Pioneer and DuPont for a small group of my farmer friends in court. They settled out of court. They knew Tom’s abilities.

This man is extremely intelligent. I’ve never been around a man who could grasp issues like he could. I wouldn’t call him a progressive as seen on this board. I would call him a realist or pragmatist.

Saying he is in the pocket of companies like Monsanto is naïve. Saying he is against Organics is I believe equally naïve.

This is an appointment that affects me directly. I’ve thought long and hard about it. At first I wasn’t for Tom…..but after consideration I am fully behind this decision.

[mattvermont]

31. I will concedethat

he is better than Dennis Wolff, but the evidence is in on his coziness with Monsanto. I would like to see his record of support for organic food production. Really. I just have not seen it.

[Tashca]

32. I didn't say he was on record for support

I see no reason he would be against it though. He will play the center on most issues.

Remember....Organics is an extremely small percentage of growers in Iowa. He plays toward the majority. I am saying he will not stand in the way of Organics.

Did you ever read Biden's Ag policy? He had a wonderful plan for Organic transition. I hope his plan can be implemented or at least considered......Bidens was far and away the superior plan. Let's hope these people work as a team.

[Debi]

43. I'm glad you posted

Please expand on Vilsack's Ag experience he'd bring to the job

b/c I can't come up with anything beyond his relationship w/biotech companies.

[Tashca]

46. Where do I start....

The first issue I worked with him on was the transition of the pork industry in the late nineties. The problems with manure and applications to the soil.....basically the smell factor. You need to remember in Ag I am very liberal....moreso than him. He would listen to all sides and try and make a decision to please all....which usually pisses all off.
I think Iowa laws regarding manure application have come along ways....furthur to come. It needs to be used as a viable fertilizer alternative, but keep the neighbors happy. He helped get funding for taking the smell out of manure....hasn't happened yet.
Branstad gutted funding for fert. and chem regulators......Tom reinforced and helped get some funding back.

I don't remember ever working with him on Biotech things. I know we discussed this in depth.
Iowa's soybean crop is over ninety percent biotech....and the corn crop I believe is probably now over 70%. I see in no way how he would have impacted that. Those decisions were made at the farm level. Do you think he should let farmers make those decisions?? His interest was more in the research side with of course Dupont and Monsanto as a minor interest. I believe he helped get research facilities here..

Total bullshit on the Sandy Greiner thing. I know her very well. She is a freaking bitch and a total Monsanto sycophant even though her Husband was in bed with Dupont. Vilsack had a real hatred of her. I know this for a fact.

[KoKo]

47. Do you really know where he stands on GMO foods, though...

I've read he is likeable...and was even considered as VEEP Pick...but something stopped him. Was it the GMO's?

[Odin2005]

33. Good. Someone who knows something about agriculture.

I see it's already pissed of the purists and anti-GMO fanatics, though.

[bread_and_roses]

36. You don't have to be a fanatic to know that Monsanto is no friend to the earth or

to farmers or to us - all we "us" who have to eat. Their record is long and appalling. All the indicators are that we will need more smaller-scale, local farmers, and that genetic diversity is as important in the plant world as in the animal. Monsanto is an enemy of both. This - like many others - is a very disappointing pick.

[happyiowan]

42. Friend of small farmers

I am an Iowan (hence the moniker) and know a bit about Tom Vilsack from living here. His membership in the DLC, his relationship with Monsanto make him nothing more than a pragmatist. HOWEVER - do not be mistaken, Vilsack is a very strong supporter of small farmers and very much understands the issues related to the difficulties of them competing with the corporate operations in our state. He did his very best as our governor to navigate between the inherent political conservatism and his own goals with regard to agricultural issues. I do not think there is a better choice for this position if you are interested in someone who understands that issues like health care and safety and education have everything to do with farming.

So there.

[Tashca]

45. I couldn't have written that better.

You are right on target.....you caught the essence of Tom.

Between Tom Harkin guiding the policies in the Senate and Tom Vilsack implementing them...I feel very good about the future of Agriculture.

[KoKo]

48. Would he support "organic" or "minimal pesticide" farming over Agri-Business, though.

That would be very important to those of us who don't want GMO Dominant Food on our tables...or sneaked by through some lax legislation...or to be heavily funded.

[Critters2]

52. There's no reason to think he would. He's a friend to commodity agriculture,

factory farms, corporate agriculture. This is a bad choice.

[Critters2]

51. Not only am I an Iowan, but I lived in Wright County until 3 years ago,

and still visit there often. You know Wright County--the factory farm capitol of the world! I watched the Vilsack administration do NOTHING to prevent the damage the CAFOs do to the communities I know. Did he advocate for local communities or county boards to have a say in the location of CAFOs? Oh, yeah. The matrix. What a joke that was.

He's a friend of DeCoster and the like. Or, at the very least, he's never done anything to stand up to them.

[Runcible Spoon]

57. thank you for your posts on this thread

"HE'S FROM IOWA HE MUST BE GOOD!!!!" "HE LOVES SMALL FARMERS!"

It's nice to see the facts and perspectives you provide....