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When I found out Mike Johanns has resigned as U.S. Ag Secretary, I detailed my criticism of him in this post,
believing he would run for Chuck Hagel's Nebraska Senate seat against
former Nebraska Senator (and former Neb governor) Bob Kerrey. The
race, if it occurred, would combine ag and trade issues like no other
in the country. Bob Kerrey was very good on ag competition issues
in the past, and Johanns has been poor. Johanns has also been a
supporter of status quo trade policy, but Kerrey's position on trade reform is not
clear.
But Kerrey may not run, according to recent reported rumors. Johanns probably will run.
David Kruse, a commodity broker in Iowa, recently wrote this
piece echoing and expanding upon my criticism. Will Johanns try to change his tune during the campaign?
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The CommStock Report - 09/27/07
Copyright 2007 CommStock Investments, Inc.
David Kruse
Retransmission, copying, or forwarding without permission is Illegal
Who followed Queen Ann [former USDA secretary Ann Veneman] as Sec.
of Agriculture? Oh, Yeah. That guy from NE. What was his name? He left
before George W's second term expired. Went home to NE to run for the
U.S. Senate. The farm bill wasn't done. Beef export markets weren't
meaningfully reopened to Japan or South Korea. Stopped Creekstone from
selling BSE tested beef to Japan. He did what the USDA could to make
COOL rules so ugly no one would implement them or was that Queen Ann?
Either way, nothing changed.
(Read More).
He did write the new rules to reopen the Canadian border to trade
for old Canadian cows that they had discovered BSE in. He was big on
cutting ag subsidies to farmers playing USDA's Robin Hood. He never
passed any trade agreements to expand ag markets. It was noted that he
spent more time in the White House than at USDA. He talked a lot about
expanding Renewable Fuels production with a RFS, but it never happened.
Ethanol production exceeded market access for the biofuel. Never worked
with the EPA to approve E-15 and E-20 blends.
Did work for the
administration that spent and borrowed from China to the point the U.S.
dollar weakened so much against world currencies, commodity prices went
up. That's a good thing for commodity producers. Took a friend's advice
and decided to quit and take credit for good farm prices. Saysthat he and his wife want to go home to NE, missing the state.
If he wins the Senate seat, they will have to go back to
Washington again. Should we tell them or wait and see if they lose?
What does he think about issues of importance? Don't know as he carried
water for meat packers at the captured USDA and for the White House the
rest of his time. Absolutely nothing changed one iota under his watch
at USDA so he's a super agent of the status quo, USDA agent 00Zero.
Nothing was improved, nothing was reformed, nothing significant
accomplished. What's his name can go back to NE and nobodywill even notice he is gone.
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