Last updated on 2012.12.20
Rep. Kristi Noem has flip-flopped back to supporting a discharge petition for the Farm Bill she has so far failed to move. A discharge petition is a way Congresspeople can force the House leadership to take action on a bill. Before the August recess, Rep. Noem said she supported serious Farm Bill-boosting colleagues' efforts to circulate a Farm Bill discharge petition. But then her boss Speaker Boehner changed her mind, and she chickened out of supporting a discharge petition.
When Noem's Democratic challenger Matt Varilek called her out on this flip-flop, she poked her head out between closed meetings to mutter meekly about the historical lack of success for discharge petitions.
But now Rep. Noem has signed the Farm Bill discharge petition. Varilek says better late than never, but still busts her chops for dilly-dallying:
She has had every opportunity this summer to push her colleagues to force a vote in the House on this farm bill.... Instead, Congresswoman Noem spent the summer and the entire August recess making excuses for not getting a farm bill passed. That's the opposite of leadership, and South Dakota deserves better [Matt Varilek, press release, September 13, 2012].
Signing the discharge petition is the right move. It would be nice if we had a Congressperson who could figure out these right moves with more consistency, clarity, and quickness.
Update 07:20 MDT: In her little speech for the cameras at the Farm Bill Now rally in Washington D.C. Wednesday, Rep. Noem interspersed her platitudes about raisin bran and feeding the world with multiple ya'know's, one funnest, and no intelligent details about what the farm bill actually does to ensure America's food security or why her Tea Party colleagues should vote to socialize risk in this particular industry over others.
But I'm glad Kristi and I share a passion for raisin bran.
The begining is about as stupid as it gets bran flakes and maybe the milk on my cereal comes from a cow.... The last 20 seconds should be in one of her campaign ads. I wonder if she was saying that to Cantor?
Ponderosa pine a renewable fuel source. EPA establishes biodiesel goals for 2013: press release.
They wanted to hack the farm bill but then a drought came so they did not want to hack it when the farmers were hurting. So they prayed for rain and got none. If it had rained in July we would have had a farm bill already. Now there is nothing to wait for so they are all looking like they want a farm bill now since everyone else does also. She did not necessarily flipflop. They wanted to vote on it this late all along.
Now that House Republicans announced they'll be in recess until after the election (didn't they just come back from vacation?), Noem is probably going to be even more desperate to get the Farm Bill passed. If they recess without passing it, and it expires at the end of the month, then what is she going to tell all the SD farmers?
"Or perhaps it’s this: Maybe Noem feels more comfortable being a political predator. In 1990, she won the South Dakota Snow Queen title. Perhaps ice water flows in her veins."
Ellis wrote a great column about Noem. And described her picture perfectly.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20120916/COLUMNISTS0116/309160010/Ellis-Noem-goes-offensive-campaign
Haggs! Long time no hear! As for recess... wow! I check out their calendar and find Congress will be at work in the Capitol just eight more days, September 19-21 and October 1-5, before the election. That's a pretty tight timeframe for voting on a Farm Bill, reconciling the rotten House and tolerable Senate versions, and getting a workable bill to the President.
Holy cow, Mike! Ellis sounds a bit fed up with Noem, don't you think?
I absolutely think he is. I wonder if it's because her staff chewed him out for writing that story about her attendance? I remember on an episode of 100 eyes Ellis went on to explain team Noem's lack of people skills. They blamed Ellis for not reaching out to them for the story only later to discover he had and they just didn't respond to his emails or phone calls.
Ellis is a good reporter as is Montgomery. This is two columns in two days that slam Noem over cap and tax. She needs to fire her campaign manager.
It is definitely time to end the federal government investment/profit guaranteeing scheme known as federal crop insurance. Congress has proven itself to be totally fiscally irresponsible with this program that not only targets millions in annual subsidies to the largest farmers but also provides annual multimillion dollar investment/profit guaranteeing policies to the largest farmers. Congress has basically forced the taxpayer to cover all or nearly all the fincancial risks of growing a crop and in addition to this is providing many farmers profit guarantees who choose to grow the right crops. [For most farmers corn is the government preferred crop now
.] This scheme which has for all practical purposes neutered the ability of small farmers to compete in an extremely highly competitive business is a primary cause of the death of many rural communities.
How is it the death of local communities, splined?
It sounds like you are willing to go to all depths to support Noem because she touched your shoulder once.
Rather than benefiting large producers, government subsidies for crop insurance are cut off at specific income level. There is an easy loophole to create multiple private partnerships that support the illusion of "family farms".
Regardless, this is the primary business of South Dakota. If you would rather the Koch Bros trade campaign dollars for taxpayer dollars, I would propose even the most conservative farmers would like to hang your hide on their mantlepieces.
Hold your fire, Justin! Splined may have a point. Charlie Johnson would likely agree that the subsidies and crop insurance of the Farm Bill further erode the competitive advantage of small farmers. And I don't hear Splined supporting Rep. Noem here. His call to end federal crop insurance runs completely counter to Noem's strategy of making changes in subsidies but protecting crop insurance, which her husband sells for a living.