Secretary of Agriculture: Not Vilsack

re: Ag Secretary (4.00 / 3)

Ok, so not Vilsack, thank goodness. Why do you narrow the list to mostly politicians? And who is John Boyd?

I very much appreciate your quote from Vandana Shiva in another post. Getting to the root of the issue, is there a  single question we could put to these people, somehow, that would ensure the one chosen gets the key principle of soil health as critical.

Thousands of organic farmers today, millions historically, show that plants don't need all the synthetic fertilizers they are subjected too, with concommitant soil life damage... creating a cycle of dependency that eventually exhausts the soil.  

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by: salemguy @ Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 02:30:53 AM UTC

Is there a single question we can put to these people? (4.00 / 1)

I don't know. That's a great, great question. Obama's got a soil scientist on his transition team, so that's something. I hope.

"I can understand someone from Iowa promoting corn and soy, but we are not feeding the world, we are feeding animals and soft drink companies." - Jim Goodman

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by: Jill Richardson @ Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 04:45:48 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Is there a single question we can put to these people? (4.00 / 1)

Jill,

A soil scientist in the transition, that's good to know. Who is it? I know a few.  

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by: salemguy @ Wed Nov 26, 2008 at 07:02:27 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Jim Leach seems unlikely. I don't know ... (4.00 / 2)

...whether he would be good or bad at Ag, but he doesn't gain Obama much in the "across the aisle" mantra because a lot of Republicans don't like him.

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by: Meteor Blades @ Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 08:16:27 AM UTC

Here's an article from a local Minnesota paper... (4.00 / 1)

Don Davis, a Minnesota State Capitol beat reporter in The (Bemidji, MN) Pioneer reports this morning -

However, Peterson has been telling anyone who would listen - including Obama's transition team - that he is not interested and would not accept the job. He has said he has more power as committee chairman.

"I made it very clear I did not want an offer," he said Monday of his comments to Obama's staff.

And whenever he speaks to a group, which happens a lot as a powerful chairman, one of his lines is: "I guarantee you it is not going to be me."

The Obama people have not been hounding him to accept: "They have not contacted me. They have not sent me anything. They have not asked me anything."

Peterson speculated that maybe the Obama folks are using his name as a distraction: "They can use me to keep the focus off whoever they want to get in there."

He's probably right.  Now if only we can get that Chairmanship away from him...

My best guess over a month ago was Herseth-Sandlin, and I still think it'll be her.  A 'bah' choice, and a probable lost House seat.

................

I agree with salemguy above.  There are probably tens of thousands of people (at least...) who are more qualified for that job than any politician that's been mentioned as being in consideration.  I'd start with the guy I buy my potatoes and greens from at the farmers market...

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks." - Christopher Hitchens

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by: JayinPortland @ Tue Nov 25, 2008 at 10:35:25 AM UTC