Vilsack Frontrunner for Agriculture Post

[progressoid]

Former Iowa Gov. Vilsack Frontrunner for Agriculture Post

Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack has emerged as the frontrunner for the post of Agriculture secretary in the Obama administration, according to people close to the presidential transition team.

Vilsack, a Democrat, has a powerful booster in fellow Iowan Tom Harkin , chairman of the Senate committee that will hold confirmation hearings for the next secretary. Harkin has been a political backer of the two-term former governor since his election in 1998 and supported Vilsack’s short-lived presidential campaign.

“Senator Harkin believes that Governor Vilsack would be a great secretary of Agriculture,” said Harkin spokeswoman Kate Cyrul.

Vilsack also got a thumbs-up from Iowa’s senior senator, Republican Charles E. Grassley .

“In administrations that I’ve known, it’s always been beneficial for our state to have another Iowan closer to the seat of power,” Grassley said in a statement.

More: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002985158

[rurallib]

1. I was hoping he would take Chuckles out in 2010

of course he still could.

[progressoid]

2. Sure, both is a possibility.

He came to talk to the volunteers here a couple weeks before the election and someone asked him about a potential future in the Obama White House. Of course, he was tight lipped about it.

He and Christie seemed to be putting in a lot of leg work around the country for Obama so...:shrug:

[progressoid]

3. UPDATE: Jim Leach too?

I just posted this in GDP: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7856008

An anonymous flow chart leaked to the press:

[Debi]

4. I'm not for or against Vilsack being Sec. of Ag. but could someone tell me

why? Does Vilsack have some sort of an Ag. background that we never heard about? Okay, he's from Iowa - but beyond that - what? :shrug:

[rurallib]

5. and that goes even moreso for Jim Leach.

[Debi]

6. Why not Patty Judge - who actually has experience AND has served as Sec. of Ag for Iowa

Really - no bigger step from Iowa politics to National politics than for Vilsack. :shrug:

What other Iowans should be in line for the job?

[9119495]

7. Good choice. Supposedly she was supposed to have that post

in a Kerry administration. She was an early endorser for him.

[Critters2]

10. That was my first thought when reading this. Patty Judge would be a better choice. nt

[Doodler71]

8. I'm not sure Gov. Vilsack would take the post

He's currently guest teaching at Harvard and seems to be enjoying it.

[Hardrada]

9. He has done much for Western Civilization and we fall to our

knees in his presence.

[Debi]

11. Blessed be

:spray: