Pombo on the Ag Committee

I hate to post again, and take the spotlight away from VPO's most recent post. This is a very important step and deserves all of the attention that it can get, so if you have not read it yet, do so. Either just scroll down or click here.

Having said that, I want to comment on the very recent announcement that Pombo has been promoted to Vice Chair of the Ag Committee. Now, don't get me started about Pombo holding the Vice Chair. I will leave that to Leno and Letterman. Still, I want to bring up the agriculture subject again.

The California Farm Bureau was immediated ready with a supporting announcement, so immediately ready that you know they were in the know ahead of time. The Farm Bureau plays this up as a symbol of his strength. I don't. I take it as a sign that he understand the fact that he is in a real race this time, that there are things outside his control and he is trying to secure his base of support before things erode too far. The "promotion" was probably easy. He obvously collected a debt from the new Republican Majority Leader, Boehner for his support in that battle.

The timing of this indicates to me that he recognized that his opponents were starting to come over the hill. Both McCloskey and Benigno are or have been farmers themselves. So much for an advantage just by being a "rancher". He had to show more, just for the Primary.

Then, you take the fact that Jerry McNerney was one of the few Democrats who actually went and talked to the Farm Bureau. It probably surprised the hell out of them. And, we know the Filson flew over a farm once or twice.

So, this is a pay off from Boehner, and another shot at getting money from Industrial Agriculture. The problem with this strategy is that he still has to convince the small farmer, those who are struggling with family farms, that all of this is good for them. He still has to defend his lack of support of a good immigration bill that the Farm Bureau says that it needs.

I think that Pombo is convinced that American Food will be picked by Latin American Workers. Maybe they will be in the US or maybe they will be in Mexico and Chile. I think he likes the latter. He voted for an immigration bill without the provision for guest workers. He voted for NAFTA. Still, the Farm Bureau is convinced that he is one of them. I don't think so. He really wants to see all of that farm land developed by his good friend Frite Grupe. Maybe ConAgra likes Pombo, or the American Dairymans Association likes him. But, what about the guy with a few hundred acres and just his family to do the work. I don't think that Pombo cares.

Now, the task for the rest of you is to help me get that interpretation in front of more than just us.