Farm bill failure gives Democrats ammunition in Midwest House races

[cal04]

Democrats fighting an uphill battle to win a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives are trying to use rural angst over the failure of congressional Republicans to pass a farm bill to win some Midwestern seats in the November 6 election.

The farm bill, which sets subsidies for everything from crop insurance to milk production, expired on October 1 after the Republican majority in the House could not muster enough votes to pass a new law.

No race demonstrates the Democratic strategy better than in western Iowa, where Christie Vilsack, the wife of President Barack Obama's agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, is stressing the farm bill in a bid to unseat conservative Republican Representative Steve King.

"The lack of a farm bill right now has the farming community up in arms," said Bryan Kruse, 34, who has two small farms and works for another farmer to pay the bills outside Ringsted, population 422. "We need to get something done."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/13/us-usa-campaign-farmbill-idUSBRE89C0GM20121013?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FPoliticsNews+%28Reuters+Politics+News%29

[madrchsod]

1. yup...and it`s just not the farm belt

the farm bill has other stuff that is very important to every one this country.

the failure of the rethugs will not go unnoticed.

[xmas74]

2. Today was the homecoming parade for a local university

and lots of politicians were there, walking and meeting with the voters. Our US Rep, Vicky Hartzler, didn't get all that great of a reception. This might be one of the reasons why.