Obama supports the farm bill
Obama's statement, via Greg Mankiw:
"I applaud the Senate's passage today of the Farm Bill, which will provide America's hard-working farmers and ranchers with more support and more predictability.""The bill places greater resources into renewable energy and conservation. And, during this time of rising food prices, the Farm Bill provides an additional $10 billion for critical nutrition programs. I am also pleased that the bill includes my proposal to help thousands of African-American farmers get their discrimination claims reviewed under the Pigford settlement."
"This bill is far from perfect. I believe in tighter payment limits and a ban on packer ownership of livestock. As president, I will continue to fight for the interests of America's family farmers and ranchers and ensure that assistance is geared towards those producers who truly need them, instead of large agribusinesses. But with so much at stake, we cannot make the perfect the enemy of the good."
"By opposing the bill, President Bush and John McCain are saying no to America's farmers and ranchers, no to energy independence, no to the environment, and no to millions of hungry people."
If the farm policy weren't driving food prices sky high, we wouldn't need "an additional $10 billion for critical nutrition programs." First American taxpayers funnel billions to agri-business so it can sell at anticompetitive prices; then taxpayers have to pay billions more so people can afford to eat.
Comments
ANOTHER SIGN THAT OBAMA IS A MARXIST.
Posted by: Gordito Mojito | May 16, 2008 1:04 PM
You said it Gordito!!!!
Put him in office and we will be waiting on breadlines just like his comrades do over in Europe
Posted by: Stephen Zumbo | May 16, 2008 1:39 PM
You've got to be a Republican with your ignorant rant about a food line, we are already headed that way under Cheney/Bush incompetence.
Obama wants more food to be grown in order to feed the American people and offset the prices that have been going up under the Cheney/Bush economy.
Watch out Repubs., America has had enough snobbish attitudes and the ship is sinking under Cheney/Bush.
Why do I say Cheney/Bush? Well, we ALL know Bush is too stupid to do anything right so the real mongral is the real devil hiding under the rocks, Cheney. He (Cheney) sunk Brown & Root as CEO and after the fraud and corruption and safety violations that went on there caught up, then he changed the name Haliburton and developed little subsidiaries KBR like, ENRON did during their scams.
Experience and Solid thinknig is what are country needs, the Republicans have given us neither just as McCain has now idea on economy and ZERO on National Security, after ALL McCain's LACK of experience voted to go to war with the wrong country, has zero diplomatic since, can't remember who is being funded by whom in Iraqs insurgency, voted for war with Iran giving Cheney a reason to start another war, LACK of support to our troops now serving and war vets. Issues on Veterans Affairs-Benefits
1) John McCain votes NO to increasing veterans benefits
http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=66&go.x=12&go.y=11
2)Military Issues, McCain votes NO to helping our military
http://www.votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=53270&type=category&category=47&go.x=12&go.y=13
3)McCains vision: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080515/ap_on_el_ge/mccain_governing_style
No MORE Republicans!! OBAMA for President 2008,2012
Posted by: Jerry EZ, TEXAS | May 16, 2008 2:27 PM
Very dissapointed in Obama for supporting this pork ladden bill which actually decreases funds for conservation. I hope this is not the start of a trend in hypocrisy and pandering for him.
Posted by: Peter Mooney | May 20, 2008 5:42 PM
I am also disapointed that Obama would support such a horrid bill. But I don't understand how food prices go up when subsidized. It is my understanding that prices go down when producers are subsidized.
Posted by: Paul Mooney | June 9, 2008 4:26 AM