AFF Sentinel Vol.7#10

Perhaps most illustrative of the leadership's attitude was President Obama's taunting of those health care bill opponents who dared to talk of repeal and reform of Healthenstein. Sounding like an arrogant, swaggering neighborhood punk on a Chicago playground basketball court, Obama's sneering taunt was "bring it on!"

Obama's playground/street tough attitude was a decidedly different take on the dignity of the President of the United States. It was more shocking when one considers who the taunts were aimed at. This was not Vladimir Putin or Hugo Chavez or Fidel Obama he was hurling his invective at. It was - according to virtually every poll - the majority of the American people, who opposed his bill. For the "post partisan" candidate, who complained that his predecessor had not been a "uniter," one would have to consider baiting and insulting the electorate as more deceptive political fiction in transitioning from campaigner to president.

Far from sheepishly viewing the health care win as a near miss won by currently acceptable Washington bribery, the caving of certain members of Congress and financial ostriches, the President either believes himself untouchable - or, like a playground bully - believes he must maintain that cocky fa?ade to continue winning. To his enemies - any voter or Congressman smacking of conservatism or fiscal common sense - he is now President Intimidator.

Which is why animal agriculture will have its work cut out for itself, as the administration tries to cram through every thing it can before the fall elections. Because despite the bravado, the current leadership has got to know the next Congress will be either substantially different or shockingly different in makeup.

The political pundits are calculating and polling and theorizing whether Republicans can just win a lot of seats this fall or, at the far range of optimism, take over both houses of Congress. While the Democrat leadership refuses to concede anything, claiming the Tea Party folks and other outraged voters will have forgotten spending and begun liking government health care by fall, no one else believes that. Election results in New Jersey, Virginia and Massachusetts plus continued Tea Party activism, suggest the fall shift could be much bigger than Democrat leadership admits.

Here's a run-down of key issues now close to action we're monitoring:

1. At least some members of Congress are finally showing some concern about the EPA's planned crippling regulations for the economy. Will enough join them to do something before it's too late?
2. Immigration reform rumblings were being heard, even before the recent tragedies on both sides of the border put new urgency in the air. But many of the same positions that prevented reform last time are still out there. Will even border security itself - a basic responsibility of our government - get the attention it needs?
3. Actions that labor unions want continue to flow from Obama's pen, including recent appointments to the National Labor Relations Board and an executive order directly favoring union labor on federal construction projects. What else is coming, what's with Andy Stern and what will Obama's latest appointment mean for food chain companies?
4. Cap & trade legislation could get back on the front burner, stirred up by a Republican, no less. Could this be an illustration of this fall's key: true conservatives are stuck with being Republicans but not all Republicans are conservative?
5. The leadership intends to force a financial reform bill of some kind through but whether it will reform anything or just make it more difficult for banks to make money or for borrowers to borrow money is an open question (Senate action scheduled Thursday).
6. Tea Party activities across the nation on April 15 continued to indicate - despite the Democrats' fervent hopes -- that us Bitter Clingers will not forget when Nov. 2 rolls around.
7. Richard Pombo -- a rabid defender of private property rights and the bane of the looney environmental zealot left - is running for Congress again. Here's someone who deserves help from the industry.

These issues are key and close to action. They could affect agriculture directly, affect related food chain segments we depend on or affect consumers -- our customers - directly. We suggest everyone take up the President's challenge. Bring it on.

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