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 Well there goes bipartisanship...
From MPR: President George Bush had threatened for months to veto the farm bill. He said it fails to reform farm subsidy programs. Late this afternoon USDA Secretary and North Dakota native Ed Schafer said the president would make good on his threat. Schafer said he met with Bush yesterday. "He was direct and clear," Schafer said. "The president will veto this bill." Well so much for that then... This bill has been in discussion for several months, close to a year. If you will remember, when Pomeroy was ambushed on the street by activists and said “I'm not going to impeach this clown” (to which some got angry for him calling bush a clown, I frankly was disappointed that he wasn't going to impeach the clown, but that's a different discussion.) He was talking on his cell phone discussing this very bill. That was back in august. The original bill expired in September and has been on life supporting continuing resolutions since then. This bill has the support of nearly every major farm state senator and has been extremely cooperative. Everyone from Dorgan to Harkin to Chambliss to Grassley supports it in the Senate, It also has broad support in the House as well (the chairs and ranking members of both the Senate and House Ag Committees are behind this legislation). Veto proof though? We'll see. Bush's reasoning for vetoing this important bill? Too expensive. Too expensive?!? This from a president that has spent more money than any Democrat would ever get away with. This from a president that after inheriting a budget surplus has put us 9.3 trillion in debt. This from a president that got us into a war that after interest will cost us $1.5 trillion (and that's if we pull out tomorrow, not to mention our hundred years strategy.) So let me get this straight. We can spend money on a war without end that profits nobody but Halliburton and Blackwater, let them charge us $45 for a case of soda, much of this money which we will never see again, thats OK. However, when we want to spend money on OUR farmers, and OUR children's healthcare, and OUR infrastructure, and OUR jobs, and OUR cities (say, New Orleans, which is still a disaster area), well that's just too damn expensive. I am fully convinced (as if I wasn't already) that the only thing Bush cares about at this point is keeping his pals flush with cash. I have seen nothing in this presidency to show that he believes otherwise. Nothing. And really at this point, why wouldn't he? He's managed to get away with it for this long, what's 256 more days? As for Shafer's role in all of this, I'm not sure what to think. He seems to be the messenger at this point, so I won't shoot him -- metaphorically -- yet. I'll be watching him though to see what he will be doing to move this bill along smoothly.
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The Sec of State agreed with you.