Much of the criticism of Rep. Kristi Noem's refusal to debate Democratic challenger Matt Varilek at the South Dakota State Fair hinges on the assumption that she's afraid to face disgruntled farmers, ranchers, and eaters over her inability to pass the Farm Bill.
But maybe Noem is just as afraid that if people find out what she put in the Farm Bill, they won't want either Noem's House Farm Bill or Noem herself to get any votes:
It appears that Rep. Krisiti Noem has been bought and paid for by "Big Ag." When the House Ag Committee voted on the new farm bill, there were two amendments added that could be very detrimental to farmers and ranchers in South Dakota.
The first, introduced by Republican Randy Neugebauer of Texas, opens the door for more congressional tampering with the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law. It would require the secretary of agriculture to file a written report with both the House and Senate committees, detailing the steps being taken to bring certain aspects of COOL into compliance with the WTO's findings that segregating cattle at the point of harvest imposes a burden on Canadian cattle.
This amendment opens up the door for the deep-pocketed COOL oposition, NCBA and the NPPC to try to alter the law or strip it completely. The House Ag Committee voted 34-12 to support the amendment. Noem was with the majority.
The second amendment, brought forth by Texas Republican Mike Conaway, would prohibit the USDA's Grain Inspection and Packers and Stockyard administrations from conducting any further work on the GIPSA rule, an effort by the Obama Administration to clarify language in laws dealing with competition and antitrust supported by thousands of livestock producers across the country.
The big meat producers, NCBA and the National Pork Producers, are spending thousands of dollars to do just that.
A check of the facts shows Noem received $7,000 from the NCBA and NPPC this past election. Conaway and Neugebauer received over $10,000 each.
The NCBA has invested more than $260,000 in campaigns, in the House of Representatives this past election. These figures do not include the "soft," unregulated or private donations.
It appears Rep. Noem is voting the way "Big Ag" told her to vote. Not doing what is best for South Dakota farmers and ranchers [links mine; Dwain Buntrock, letter to the editor, Aberdeen American News, August 15, 2012].
Recall that Noem also supports a Farm Bill provision that bans state initiatives on ag production-related issues (states rights, anyone?). She failed to get support for an amendment to continue USDA funding for ethanol blender pumps. She failed to convince her colleagues to back the Sodsaver Amendment.
Republicans can try spinning Noem's chicken act as simple fear of walking into an unfriendly Democratic forum, but that's baloney. No one has demonstrated how the Farmers Union, in 30 years of hosting State Fair debates, has ever managed to rig the questions, buy off the moderator, or block Republicans from attending and cheering.
The more rational explanation is that Kristi Noem wants to avoid hard questions about a House Farm Bill that isn't COOL and that GIPS farmers and ranchers. The Farmers Union supports country-of-origin labeling, and she has refused to attend the State Fair debate they are hosting. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports GIPSA; will Noem turn them down as well if they invite the Congressional candidates to speak at their September convention in Sioux Falls?
Call the vet, that Noem dog don’t hunt! Stephanie Herseth Sandlin would never have let COOL and the GIPSA Rule get neutered, and she would have fought to the finish to get a competent Farm Bill passed by now. It took several years to get COOL passed, and now Noem’s pals are killing it. Noem is in over her head. I’m pissed that she’s now insulting the integrity of S.D. Farmers Union as her cheap excuse to run like coward from the State Fair debate with her opponent.
Any livestock producer who votes to return Noem to Congress should be publicly scolded for betraying his neighbors and fellow South Dakota producers.
Oh my! Kristi, this isn't going to play well at home...you know...with those scarey biased people (farmers) at the State's fair.
Does this mean that Kristi just voted against South Dakota Certified Beef? Wasn't that a Republican project in SD that taxpayers helped to fund? And now she is deliberately out to undermine that effort? http://www.southdakotacertifiedbeef.com/
Kristi was never about leading or representing SD. Her goal was to ride the 'Caribou Barbie' trend and grab a little power, fame and a big paycheck. Just a shame that the power she got was for herself and not the State of South Dakota.
Hmmm...Caribou Barbie is taken, so what should we call her?
Let's see, Barbie's friends were Skipper, Midge, Tutti, Jazzie, Kelli, Krissy...
How's Tatanka Tutti sound? Madcow Midge? South Dakota Skipper, Krissy the Show Horse?
I'm wide open to suggestions here.
Noem's campaign for reelection is clearly in trouble now. She fears of becomming a one-termer after all that pazzaz and smear campaign she orchestrated against Herseth in 2010. A flash in the pan? Time will tell...
Noem is shell-shocked from the bombast and is suffering from both Pre and Post Election Stress Trauma or PEST.
Running in terror from debates is one symptom. Clinging to lobbyist's coat tails begging and sobbing for "contributions" is another symptom. I'm sure you have seen other such behavior or can even invent better.
Her letter to Obama was precious, though, wasn't it?
Does she want him to write a script for her to introduce a vote?
Jana....it is Fashion Show barbie, I just got my new collector edition ordered with her pretend college degree, already in the collection is the model with big hair, head stuck in the mail box (waiting for those farm subsidies from uncle sugar to roll in) and my favorite, fashion show goes to the South Dakota State Fair edition (because she always enjoyed attending)......
next collector item on the list will be Fashion Show at her Malibu Beach House where she likes to campaign for office with whose who of California Republicans.......instead of meeting with her South Dakota Constituents......
VARILEK should quickly agree to a debate hosted by Gordon Howie or the Tea Party (Noem will not attend that anyway) and he can say "I'm not afraid of the issues. I will talk about them anywhere with anyone."
I heard Noem is offering free food to encourage voters to board her bus in Sioux Falls to ride to the Dakota Fest debate with her opponent. Is this so? Apparently, she won't debate unless she can pack the crowd with Tea Party screamers.
If Powers wanted to write a blog post he could write one about Noem bussing in people from Sioux Falls to a debate in Mitchell.
Isn't bussing people from Sioux Falls kind of pathetic? Why not bus them from Watertown? Isn't she from the Watertown area?
This is exactly what Noem does. She has to stack the deck in her favor so she can look like she has huge support.
The average person who attends probably isn't impressed with her.
Mike, it would be interesting to hear both Varilek and Noem field a question on the Farm Bill in front of a West River Tea Party crowd. Upon hearing both candidates talk about the need for federal government intervention in the ag marketplace, the Tea Partiers would be forced to acknowledge that Kristi is a RINO just like Lust, Gosch, and the other local Republicans they've been robocalling. And actually, given Varilek's support for tighter income restrictions on subsidies, the Tea Party might realize they'd be better off voting for Matt.