Secretary of Agriculture

So Iowa's former governor will be the new Secretary of Agriculture. Make no mistake, this appointment did not happen because Obama likes Tom Vilsack. He got it because Obama knows Senator Harkin likes Tom Vilsack. Anyhow...

It's good for Iowa. Ethanol subsidies are safe. Issues concerning corn and soybeans, hog confinement, and water polution from farm chemicals will all be on the front burner.

It's good for agriculture. The ag department spends way too much money paying off cotton farmers in the south. Senators Grassley and Harkin have been pushing to "limit" farmer subsidies to $250,000 per year. Imagine farmers getting paid $500,000 each year by our government. Grassley and Harkin want it cut to a maximum of $250,000. With Vilsack as Ag Secretary it might happen.

It's good for the Iowa Democratic party. Gov. Vilsack is a competent guy and I'm sure he'll do a competent job as ag secretary and make Iowa proud.

I simply don't like him.

I will cite two reasons. In 2000 I helped manage a state senate campaign. We were beaten up because the Republicans had "English only" as a bogus campaign issue. The governor refused to sign a bill making English the official language. He was right on the issue but wrong on the politics. The party lost 3 close elections (including my friend) on that issue. Two years later he faced a lame GOP opponent in Doug Gross. Vilsack - with his own election on the line - caved and signed the English only bill. Gee, Tom, if you were going to sign it why didn't you do it two years earlier? You'd of helped elect a couple more Democratic state senators...

The second reason I don't care for the guy goes back to this reelection campaign in 2002. I went to a fundraiser for the Hawkeye Labor Council where Governor Vilsack was the featured speaker. Organized labor was very upset about Iowa's right to work laws. Democrats like Vilsack pay good lip service to the issue but had never really fought to change the law. (They did this year, but remember, I'm telling a story about 2002.)

During a Q&A Governor Vilsack was repeatedly hammered by the union members who had busted their ass in 1998 to get him elected. He assured them that he was listening.

Two days later he was interviewed on WMT/WHO. He was asked about Iowa's right to work laws. The governor's response (to the best of my memory): "I have traveled all across this state and spoke to thousands of people. This is simply not an issue people care about."

And politicians wonder the label "politician" is negative...