Countdown: Less than Five Days Until TX/OH Showdown

Texas and Ohio are the two most important primaries coming up on Tuesday, and at this point it is pretty clear that the Republicans have settled on the fact that their nominee will be John McCain ... like it or lump it. It also appears that Democrats are starting to settle in with Barack Obama ... but Hillary is still working hard to claim the nomination so it's not over til it's over.

Meanwhile, see below for what some national pundants ... not they alway know ... are saying about the last debate:

• Boston Globe: Clinton Attacks on All Fronts. Obama Hits Back on Health, Trade, War and Campaign Tactics.
• New York Times: A Complicated Challenge on One Side; A Single Task on the Other.
• The New York Observer: Panetta's Lament: They Had No Plan.
  

1 in 100 U.S. Citizens Behind Bars?

That's what a recent study from the Pew Center on the States says. It's worrying because this is money -- keeping all 230 million people in jail -- that's wasted. Actually, it's wasted people as well as wasted money ... $49 Billion to be exact.

Nationwide, the prison population grew by 25,000 last year, bringing it to almost 1.6 million. Another 723,000 people are in local jails. The number of American adults is about 230 million, meaning that one in every 99.1 adults is behind bars. See more on this New York Times story at 1 in 100 U.S. Citizens Behind Bars

The Boston Globe reports that "Vermont Tops the List of States Spending More on Prison than College." And in Michigan, AP Reporter David Eggert reports that Michigan is right behind Vermont, spending $1.19 for every $1.00 spent on higher education, "Michigan is 1 of 4 states to spend more on prison than college." Meanwhile, Georgia ranks seventh in prison population with more than 55,000 people imprisoned and a growing population that tripled the U.S. average.

The Pew report says that states don't really make active choices about whether prisons or colleges are the most important to spend money on, but still, a dollar spent one place is a dollar that isn't available for other spending.

In terms of the effect of what seems to be our nation's growing need for prisons, one sometimes un-noticed effect is how some small towns have fought for prisons to build in their communities as a means of creating new jobs. For more info on this growing trend, see Big Prisons Small Towns.

At My Rural America, we deplore the idea that our rural economy should get to the point that our jobs might depend upon others committing crimes. Better ideas would be to push for cost of production protections for our agriculture producers, new broadband connections so that small businesses have an easier time competing for business and of course, to get serious about investing in our children so that they don't grow up to be criminals.

Regarding Iraq: $10 Billion per Month - A War We Must End

In the past, we've discussed the war in Iraq as problematic -- quite simply a mess; the myriad of changing reasons President Bush has given for the war; the fact that there are more private contractors than soldiers there and that government oversight of these contractors has been so slipshod that billions of dollars have been squandered; our government's failure to take care of our veterans as they come home; and the challenges of solving domestic problems at home when the war is, if nothing else, a money pit ... continually sucking money from our domestic economy, and worse yet, continuing to deplete international respect for the U.S. abroad. Worse yet, the $10 Billion a month the war is costing hasn't even given us the benefit of our capturing Osama Bin Laden.

Although John McCain has repeatedly talked about the possibility of the U.S. staying in Iraq for 100 years, most Americans ... as many as 70% according to some polls ... continue to call for the war to end. The cost of this war, and also the more necessary war in Afghanistan, has strained our military while it also has placed an extra burden on rural communities who find their National Guard soldiers required to return to the war zones over and over again ... while these same soldiers are also very necessary at home since they often serve as policemen and firemen for their home towns.

Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress continue their struggle to end the war. Clearly, they do not have enough votes to override President Bush's certain veto. And clearly, until November when there is the possibility of more anti-war Members of Congress joining the Democratic struggle, we can expect this war without end to continue.

Our next president will face the task. In today's (2/26/08) Washington Post, John Podesta, Ray Takeyh and Lawrence J. Korb write, "A War We Must End." Podesta is president of the Center for American Progress and Korb is a senior fellow at the Center. Takeyh is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Although the whole op-ed is must reading, we emphasize the following, "The strategic necessities of ending the war have never been more compelling. In today's Middle East, America is neither liked nor respected. Iran flaunts its nuclear ambitions, confident that a bogged-down Washington has limited options but to concede to its mounting infractions. Afghanistan is rapidly descending into a Taliban-dominated state as the Bush administration responds only with plaintive complaints about NATO's lack of resolution. And the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is nowhere near resolution. America's occupation of Iraq is estranging an entire generation of Arab youths, creating a reservoir of antagonism that will take decades to overcome. A Democratic president who may enjoy a modest honeymoon in the Middle East simply by virtue of not being George W. Bush can take a giant step toward reclaiming America's practical interests and moral standing by leaving Iraq."

Do take time to read the complete column: "A War We Must End."

Buried Seed Vault Opens in the Arctic

Andrew Revkin writes, "There are something like 1,400 seed banks around the world, guarding samples of crop plants ranging from alfalfa to yams. But, as I wrote last year, this agricultural archive is eroding under forces including war, storms, scant money or bad management, particularly in the world’s poorest or most turbulent places. A Fort Knox has been needed, many experts said. Now they have it.

We recommend today's New York Times story "Buried Seed Vault Opens in the Arctic". USDA also maintains see banks but this one appears to be extra safe.

The President's Budget: Impact on Rural America

If we were singing a song about the on impact of the President's Budget on rural America, we would need to start with basic geography. Where would the impact be? ... from sea to shining sea, i.e., literally everywhere. This week, we begin our coverage with a piece that Senator Harry Reid, Majority Leader for the U.S. Senate, wrote to his home state: "The President's Budget Will Not Strengthen Rural Nevada", Nevada Appeal 2/24/08.

We've chosen to begin with Senator Reid's overview, because it gives a good summary of how the Bush Budget could impact every single state's rural areas. Over the next weeks, we plan to give more detail on more subjects, but for today, we've chosen to emphasize one area -- education -- to emphasize in more detail.

See first this "Analysis of the Department of Education's Budget Impact on Rural America", published by the National Education Association and the Rural School Community Trust.

Purpose of Program: The Department of Education was initially created to equalize opportunity between high-poverty students and their more economically advantaged counterparts. Over the years, the equalization priority has been increased to focus not only on poverty but also on issues of federal lands and geographic isolation. Nationwide, federal funding of K-12 education equates to 7.6 percent of local school district budgets, on average. Most of the funding that rural districts receive is through federal formula grants.

Rural school districts are placed at an additional disadvantage because they often do not have the staff
availability in order to apply for competitive grants at the federal level. Teachers are often instructing
multiple grade and subject areas and superintendents are often also serving as principals and in some cases,
bus drivers.

One specific example of the cuts is the federal funding for Improving Teacher Quality State Grants.

The President’s budget cuts funding for Improving Teacher Quality state grants by $130 million
below the level needed to maintain current services, providing only $2.8 billion for 2009 ... If the President’s cut were adopted, an estimated 540,000 fewer children would be taught by highly qualified teachers.

There is much more detail in the study. We encourage you to read the study and then to write your local newspaper, protesting the cuts. Afterall, the future of our kids is at stake should this Budget be enacted.

Farm Bill ... Coming Soon? Really?

It's beginning to look a lot like the "supreme" decisionmakers are coming to a compromise on the Farm Bill. Jerry Hagstrom, reporter for both National Journal and DTN, has written that the deal would mean the permanent disaster program -- now part of the Farm Bill and heavily supported by Western and Southern Plains Senators would be dealt with separately.

Last week Senator Grassley (IA) announced the Farm Bill negotiation would cost $9 Billion, with the costs spread over ten years.

The deal, with permanent disaster separated, is likely to allow increases in spending for food stamps and other nutrition programs -- a good thing considering the economic challenges our country is facing. Congressional leadership who have worked with the White House to negotiate the deal include Senators Tom Harkin (IA) - Chair of the Senate Ag Committee, Saxby Chamblis (GA) - Ranking Member for Ag, Max Baucus (MT) - Chair of Senate Finance; and Representatives Collin Peterson (MN) - Chair of the House Ag Committee and Bob Goodlatte (VA) - Ranking Member.

Please Join Us as We Watch the Debate Tonight

Check your local times, but be sure to watch. The debate takes place in Austin, TX, and will be one of the last debates before the Democratic decision as to who the nominee will be is made. That candidate -- Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will likely face John McCain in November.

For background purposes, we present some of the recent coverage for each candidate.

• "Beginning of the End for Clinton?" LA TIMES, 2/20/08
• "Obama Takes Hawaii and Wisconsin in Decisive Fashion McCain Easily Defeats Huckabee in Wisconsin" Washington Post, 2/20/08

Obama has won 11 caucuses and primaries in a row now, so it's up to Hillary to turn things around or she will not be the nominee. Meanwhile, according to the New York Times, McCain has been busy today answering question about an alleged inappropriate relationship with a New York lobbyist. See story at "For McCain, Self-Confidence on Ethics Poses Its Own Risks," New York Times, 2/21/08.

Farm Bill ... the View from Chuck Hassebrook, Center for Rural Affairs

The last time we wrote about the status of the Farm Bill, we asked "Where oh Where?" was it? The answer to that question is "stuck in the mud" ... White House "mud" to be more specific.

Now, Chuck Hassebrook, Ex. Director for the Center for Rural Affairs, is predicting a new opportunity to get the Farm Bill passed. "Sen. Tom Harkin has the opportunity to deliver the kind of Farm Bill he has always supported - one that strengthens, rather than undermines, family farms and rural communities," writes Hassebrook for the Des Moines Register.

Calling for a new alliance that would prioritize the rural economy in general, small businesses and small towns, Hassebrook continues,

"(Senator) Grassley has led the fight for payment limitations and Harkin has used his position as Senate Agriculture Committee chair to pursue reform. But both have been blocked. The (Bush) administration says the farm bill must do more to deny payments to certain high-income landowners. However, its proposals are far less effective than the payment-limitations reforms pursued by Grassley and Harkin."

Let us know what you think.

Congress, Presidential Powers and the Three Legged Milk Stool

Remember those old three legged stools -- the kind that some of our dads sat on to milk the cows with? I found myself recalling that old milk stool recently as I thought about how last week Congress voted 223-32 to hold former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas to testify before Congress in regard to the firing of nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006.

The way I learned about the balance of powers required by the U.S. Constitution was with a drawing of the three legged stool -- Congress, Judiciary, Presidency/the Executive Branch. Take one leg away, and the stool falls over. Take one branch of government away and our government is in danger. When the checks and balances don't work as required by the Constitution, it's a serious signal that our democracy is at risk.

• Miers and Bolten's failure to comply with Congressional subpoenas requiring their testimony under oath, is exactly the kind of signal that the writers of our Constitution were worried about, i.e., one branch of government cannot be allowed to run amuck.

"Amuck" ... that's the most polite word we can write here. For our purposes, it means that Congress was exactly right in holding Miers and Bolten in contempt. Steve Fox of the American Freedom Campaign described the situation as, "In order for our system of checks and balances to be effective, Congress must have oversight over the executive branch. When Bolten and Miers -- with the encouragement of the President -- refused to comply with the congressional subpoenas last summer, they were tacitly saying that this oversight power no longer existed. If they are not held in contempt -- and prosecuted in the courts -- our Constitution will have been defiled."

Amuck. "Defiled." Both accurate words in this case. One unresolved question is what happens next? Since Bolten and Miers said "No" because President Bush asked ... told? them to do so, our question is: Does he have responsibility, too?

As reported by Roll Call, Bruce Fein, a former counsel to Congress in the Iran-Contra probe and an ex-deputy attorney general under Ronald Reagan, has predicted that Congress is likely to win one out of the two battles that come next. These upcoming battles will be one in criminal court and one in civil court. Fein described the situation this way,

"Thsi is the more aggressive executive privilege claim ever. It would be the equivalent of Nixon telling John Dean he couldn't testify."

As we follow this continuing story, readers may expect us to add more detail regarding which Members of Congress voted to protect the Constitution.

Children in Poverty -- More Every Day

At My Rural America, we value

• Family – Children, good neighbors, friends helping friends, working together to solve problems … teamwork.

In recent months, we have strongly supported children's health care ... or SCHIP as passed by Congress and consistently vetoed by the President. It's a veto supported by most conservatives in Congress, and it's a veto we don't understand since Democrats and also key Republicans like Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa have actively worked as a team to support it.

Meanwhile, our nation's children have been slipping deeper into poverty. "Poverty Mars Formation of Infant Brains," screamed a recent headline in the Financial Times.

If you care about children, this news story is must reading since in plain language it explains the results of a recent study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, e.g.,

• Martha Farah, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s centre for cognitive neuroscience, said: “The biggest effects are on language and memory. The finding about memory impairment – the ability to encounter a pattern and remember it – really surprised us."
• Jack Shonkoff, director of Harvard University’s centre on the developing child, said policymakers had to take note of the research because “the foundation of all social problems later in life takes place in the early years ... The earlier you intervene [to counteract the impact of poverty], the better the outcome in the end, because the brain loses its plasticity [adaptability] as the child becomes older.”
  

New York Times op-ed writer Paul Krugman put it another way on Monday, saying "Poverty is Poison." Krugman reminds us that statistics prove that Lyndon Johnson's "war on poverty" reduced the poverty rate from 23% in 1963 to 14% in 1968. In 2006, this rate has increased to the point that 17.4% of America's children are living in poverty.

Krugman continues, " ... American children born to parents in the bottom fourth of the income distribution have almost a 50 percent chance of staying there -- and almost a two-thirds chance of remaining stuck if they're black."

Well, poverty strikes a lot of ways -- hunger, neglect, embarrassment, shame, the feeling of being an outcast ... of knowing that there is no hope, that you're just stuck and miserable and angry. This is a tough list, so for today, let's just start with one goal -- food for the kids. They can't learn if their stomachs are empty.

The Farm Bill awaits President Bush' s signature. By not signing it, he endangers free and reduced school lunches for poverty stricken children. Our recommendation: Call the White House today and tell him your patience has run out ... he must sign the Farm Bill immediately. Here are the numbers:

Phone Numbers Comments: 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461

TTY/TDD Comments: 202-456-6213 Visitors Office: 202-456-2121

More Economy Woes

It's a good thing that Obama and other candidates are addressing the economy, as it is also good that the Congress and the President worked together to pass the Economic Stimulus package.

However, there is still much to be done. Robert Reich, professor of public policy at the University of California, has more to say, first predicting that "This time, consumers won't be able to save the America economy."

Reich continues, "The only lasting remedy, other than for Americans to accept a lower standard of living and for businesses to adjust to a smaller economy, is to give middle and lower income Americans more buying power and not just temporarily ... The underlying problem has been bulding for decades. America's median hourly wage is barely higher than it was 35 years ago, adjusted for inflation. The income of a man in his 30's is now 12 percent lower than that of a man his age three decades ago. MOst of what's been earned in America since then has gone to the richest 5 percent." Read more: "Totally Spent," The New York Times.

Obama Economic Plan

The Economic Stimulus Plan agreed upon by both parties is signed by the President. As we recognize that this is a good start, we must also recognize that more will be needed. Today, Barack Obama presented his plan for America. The Wall Street Journal reports, "Obama Economic Plan Aimed at Those Under Strain ... Tax Cuts and Health Care Hit popular themes."

Valentine's Day - a cartoon to make you laugh

The Pulitzer Prize was awarded to Ann Telnaes for editorial cartooning in 2001. Her work has been posted in newspapers and magazines around the world, and is regularly featured in the Washington Post. Her cartoons have been exhibited at the Library of Congress, in Paris and in Jerusalem and have been collected in two books, "Humor's Edge" and "Dick." Click here for her Happy Valentine's Day cartoon.

Today is Valentine's Day

If you haven't already sent your sweetie a valentine, it's time. And if you don't have a sweetie, send yourself some flowers instead. After all, you deserve it. Why? Because you're concerned about America -- our economy, our land, our people and our world.

As we move forward with this blog, we'll be concentrating on some serious things, necessary for America, but first, as more and more Americans become interested and begin to believe again about how we can make this country ... and the world better, we're sharing several of the most motivating political videos that citizens and their campaigns have been sharing on YouTube.

• Yes We Can -- Barack Obama
• John.He.Is -- John McCain
• Hillary4U&Me -- Hillary Clinton

There are more. Fish around and find them for yourselves. Some are fun; some are serious, but all are motivating.

Have a great Valentine's Day.

President Bush Signs Economic Stimulus Bill

National Journal tells the story, "Bush, Congress Enjoys Feel Good Moment."

We're proud that everyone worked together -- Republicans and Democrats with Speaker Pelosi taking the first risk as she went to the White House to negotiate with the President. Once the first agreement was complete, everything went smooth as glass.

Congratulations Congress!

Where oh Where Has Our Farm Bill Gone?

We've been wondering why and where did our Farm Bill disappear? First, the outgoing Secretary of Agriculture did more than a dozen hearings on what should go into the Farm Bill and then the Congress worked ... and worked ... and worked to answer farmers' and their rural communities' needs. The House supported a bill that gave high priority to farm program, and the Senate gave additional priority to rural development. And then the great disappearance happened.

Today, National Farmers Union President Tom Buis made comments regarding the problem, saying, "The problem from the beginning has been the White House's reluctance to provide adequate funding to address the challenges in rural America, including vital nutrition, conservation, renewable energy and other farm bill programs." See more story at Cattle Network.

Also among those problems is how to deal with disaster payments. Traditionally, providing disaster assistance used to be a bi-partisan deal. No matter which side of the aisle, farm state representatives knew their state would have a weather-related disaster sooner or later, so everyone pitched in.

But in 2005, things changed. At President Bush's request, the disaster assistance bill for farmers stricken by drought was locked up in committee ... no votes allowed ... by then Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA), and there it remained until 2007 when Democrats took over the Majority. The result -- long story short, was that the bill passed almost immediately and on May 25, 2007, President Bush finally signed it into law.

Now ... the new problem is that USDA can't (won't?) write the checks so here we are -- Feb. 13, 2008, and farmers who were stricken with disaster in 2005 (three years ago) still do not have the assistance.

This kind of wait is unacceptable. It puts more pressure on Congress to create a new permanent disaster assistance program ... and now that this program is in the Farm Bill, both USDA and President Bush are once again dragging their feet, failing to meet rural communities' needs.

Obama Slams Home Three Big Victories; McCain Wins Narrowly

This morning we're sharing some of our favorite stories about the Virginia, Maryland and District of Columbia primaries, but first -- CONGRATULATIONS VOTERS! No matter who you voted for, you turned out in record breaking number on an icky, rainy, icy day and night and over all, our democracy was the winner.

In the Democratic race, Barack Obama won every single demographic group of voters, including the majority of white men and women, Hispanics and African-Americans. The only exception to this winning streak was one tiny demographic group found in Maryland -- the over $200,000 income voters, a group that generally doesn't vote for Democrats only. Walter Shapiro writes in detail in Salon about the broad scope of the Obama win: "Obama's Surge Extends Down the Potomac."

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton is nothing if not determined, and Potomac's election night found her in El Paso with a cheering crowd and a reshuffled campaign. Last night's results, which gave Hillary her eighth straight loss, and reduced her delegate count so much that it made Hillary in to the "running second" category, was not to be seen in El Paso. Peter Canellos writes today in the Boston Globe that the "Race Tests Moralle, Traditional Wisdom."

And poor John McCain. He barely squeaked by Governor Huckabee, but his narrow win was enough to move him forward as the inevitable Republican nominee. We pause here to reflect ... isn't it at least a little bit amazing that both Governor Romnee and Mayor Guiliani have taken themselves out of the race? Who would have thought? Dana Milbank gives an overview in his Washington Post story, "The Decisive Winner, By a Nose." There is also a Gallery of campaign pictures to the right of the story, too -- very fun to look at!

Meanwhile, there is much more coverage. These stories begin with Obama buying doughnuts for his very cold election volunteers, continue with coverage of his "thank you" speech in Wisconsin, the next stop in the few remaining primaries left before we learn who the winning nominees are. Also included is coverage of the remaining challenges faced by the few candidates still fighting to be the Democratic and Republican nominees.

Barack Obama:

• Obama Inspires Crowd at Packed Kohl Center Rally, Wisconsin State Journal
• Obama Rides Momentum into Wisconsin, USATODAY
• Halperin's Take: Sixteen Underappreciated Obama Advantages, TIME Magazine
• Obama's Friends in Unlikely Places, Stateline.org
  

Hillary Clinton:

• Clinton Kicks Off Texas Efforts, NBC News
• Clinton Plays Election Roulette, The Politico
• Inside the Clinton Shake-Up -- how Hillary's Campaign Got Itself into a Ditch, and how it might get itself out, The Atlantic Monthly

John McCain andMike Huckabee:

• McCain Gets Wins, Not Mandate, Washington Times
• Assessing the GOP's Chances, Wall Street Journal
• Huckabee Again Shows Strength on the Right, Washington Post
  

Congress Getting Along? YES!!

Well, this is pretty cool. We first wrote about how Speaker Nancy Pelosi went to the White House to negotiate with the President over the need for economic stimulus in January. She came out with agreement for a solid package that met the three most basic goals for a stimulus -- timely, targeted and temporary. The bill passed the House and went to the Senate where it got dolled up with a couple of very necessary extras that will assist 20 million seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans. That was good news, but still we worried ... since the bill was a slightly stronger bill than the President had agreed to, would House Republicans balk?

The answer to that question was no. Rather, Minority Leader John Boehner and Speaker Pelosi worked together to pass the bill in the House, with the expected result that the President will sign it very soon. We call that a BIG WIN for the economy and for our nation. For more detail on the final package, see the New York Times story -- Congress Votes for a Stimulus of $168 Billion.

There's more good news, too. Today's Politico has an on-line story "First Date: Well Played" that's a quick, fun read with a serious message. Pelosi and Boehner are still talking, and that's a good start.

Let's hope that these conversations include talk about the Farm Bill. After all, the Farm Bill is crucial to the economy of rural America.

Economic Stimulus -- Congratulations Congress

Whew. Working families won a round on Friday when both the House and the Senate passed the economic stimulus package. There was strong support on both sides of the aisle, with many members of Congress working together to make sure that it passed.

Mark Zandi, Moody's Economy.com's chief economist approved the action by saying that although the stimulus package "could not prevent a recession (if one is coming), as its benefits won’t kick in until this summer; ... it could substantially mitigate the severity of any downturn. " As a whole, the package includes tax rebates as high as $1200 per family, small business incentives, a child tax credit and assistance for homeowners who may lose their homes because of the mortgage crisis.

President Bush earlier committed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi that he was in favor of a stimulus package, so we anxiously await confirmation that he will sign the bill.

Open Letter to Senator Jon Tester on the Bush Budget

Dear Senator Tester,

My Rural America just loves you. Why? ... Because you're right about the Bush Budget being just plain cruel to rural America. You said just, " ... another nail in the coffin of rural America, so to speak."

Over the next days/weeks we'll be doing a continuing feature about our country's endangered Middle Class. Whether the subject -- i.e., the "nail" -- is "Economic Stimulus" package, Farm Bill or how the Bush Budget cuts "Essential Air", broadband, AMTRAK, the "Wild Land Fire Program" and/or a lot of other things too, it would be a real slap in the face to rural Americans if we were to end up stuck with the President and his allies' Budget.

To get us started, we're sharing the Great Falls Tribune's story, "Tester: Bush Budget Fails Rural America."

Thanks again for working hard to protect us all.

Your fans at My Rural America

Reflections -- Filling the News Gap in Rural America

As we at My Rural America began this website, we had only one goal.

• To fill the news gap existing in rural America. This gap is well documented by the Kellogg Foundation, the Pew Institute and our own studies, too. Rural citizens do not have easy access to the information we need to educate ourselves about whether rural America's "bread & butter" issues are supported ... or not! ... by our national elected representatives who vote about our rural "kitchen table" almost every day in Washington.
  

Research shows that often the only information easily available in rural communities is what elected officials say about their own votes, as sometimes heard on the radio and other times reprinted from the representatives' own press releases.

Thus, our original goal -- to become an independent verifier, showcasing additional detail about legislative actions and votes, adds light to key votes that really matter. For example, a continuing story developed by My Rural America is about the difficulty of getting disaster assistance to farmers for drought.

• In short, our coverage shows both neglect to the issue and that the need is ongoing:
  
• 2006: the Republican Minority had locked up the bill for two years -- an unprecedented action since disaster assistance usually gets bipartisan support;
  
• 2006: Rep. John Barrow (GA) tried to fix the problem with a discharge petition that would have forced a floor vote. Dems gave him 195 signature and Repubs offered
  
• However, 218 signatures were necessary. Farmers remained without assistance; (4) 2007: Dems passed funding for disaster assistance early in the year;
  
• 2007: See story: The Perfect Drought on this blog 10/27-07 -- Georgia Republicans catch on ... drought in Georgia matters.
• 2008: Visit US Drought Monitor to see about whether your state will be in need next.
  

Unfortunately, there are all too many stories like this. Local newspapers don't have the resources to tell you who votes ... and who does not vote ... in support of rural America. Re -- drought: If you were represented by conservative Representatives Frank Lucas in Oklahoma, Barbara Cubin in Wyoming, Henry Bonilla in Texas, Jerry Moran in Kansas, you should know that they betrayed you on drought ... no effort but lots of town meetings and press conferences. They simply did not act. Bonilla is gone now and Cubin soon will be, but Moran and Lucas are running again.

Over time, with the presidential caucus and primary season upon us, we expect to add continuing news about the presidential candidates' positions and commitments to rural America. To do so, oOur first big challenge is to find information ... easy with the Democrats who have both campaigned with platforms for strengthening rural America, but difficult to do for Republicans who have not addressed rural America in their platforms so far.

Although subject to change as new information becomes available, we've made the decision to base our comparisons for Republicans on President Bush's record combined with the Republican Minority who endorse his proposals to Congress vs. the record of all three Democratic sources, i.e., the Democratic Congress's actions and the plans of both Democratic candidates -- Senators Clinton and Obama.

Super Tsunami Tuesday At a Glance - Continued

Our previous post focused on the demographics of who voted in the Democratic Primaries on Super Tuesday. This evening's post is about those voting in the Republican primaries. Overall, there were 19 primaries.

The first difference: 5 million more people voted in the Democratic Primaries. With the exception of four states -- Alabama, Alaska, Arizona and Utah, more people voted in the Democratic primaries than did Republicans.

McCain won the most states. Huckabee, whom most pundants thought was out of the race, surprised everyone by winning the Southern States. Meanwhile, Romney had a disappointing night. Other facts at a glance we found interesting:

• Huckabee: Won 42% of weekly church-goers; tied with Romney in some states by splitting "very conservative" voters;
• McCain: Won 3 in 20 evangelical votes; ran stronger among voters prioritizing national security and character; ran stronger among men than women;
• Romney: Won 7 out of 10 voters who self-identified as "very conservative"; won 4 in 10 voters who want undocumented immigrants deported.
  

As a whole, Republicans thought immigration mattered more than terrorism and considered the values of the candidates they voted for a priority. It is unclear exactly what these "values" actually mean.

None of the three candidates above have targeted specific plans or proposals for rural America as part of their campaign strategies. However, in our continuing stories, we will cover what the head of the Republican Party -- President George W. Bush -- is supporting for rural America -- as documented in his Budget for the fiscal year 2008-09.

Last Night at a Glance -- Both Clinton and Obama Won

UPDATED NUMBERS -- Obama won more states.

• Obama: 14 (plus 2)-- Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah (plus earlier winning Iowa and South Carolina)
  
• Clinton: 8 (plus 2) -- Arkansas, Arizona, California, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee (plus earlier winning New Hampshire and Nevada)
  

Clinton won more delegates.

• Clinton: 641.
  
• Obama: 633.

Or, if you look at grand totals so far, Clinton has a slight edge. According to MSNBC's unofficial count which includes super delegates, some of whom have not gone public:

• Clinton: 811 -- includes 193 super delegates
  
• Obama: 720 -- includes 111 super delegates
  

Note that super delegates in a tight contest are notoriously fickle, so when the polls move around, so so the decisions of the super delegates. As we watch this contest move into the next several weeks, the promises of super delegates need to be weighed with great care.

Other "facts at a glance" that we found interesting:

• Clinton won the largest of the primary states and did best among the following:
• Middle-aged voters and seniors
• Women
  
• Hispanics (6 in 10)
  
• Voters most concerned about health care and the economy.
• Low income and less educated.
  

• Obama won all the Caucus states and also won states in every region of the country and he did best among the following:

• Voters under age 44
• White men
• African Americans (8 in 10)
  
• Voters concerned about Iraq; voters who want change.
  
• Higher income voters and better educated.

Later today, we'll do a similar review of the Republicans, and also review what the differences in the popular vote were.

Questions about California's Absentee Ballots

Hotline has the best overview. One particular point we noticed ... Los Angeles County did not have the absentee ballot turn-out that other California locations did; thus, the votes in LA County will play out in real time. More: Absentee Influence in California.

Making History

At stake tonight: 22 states.

• 1681 Democratic delegates. 2025 are necessary to win the Democratic nomination.
• 1009 Republican delegates. 1191 are necessary to win the Democratic nomination.

For a map of key states, see Politico's 2008 Super Tuesday Preview.

In Case You're Worrying Over the Rules

Even the Wall Street Journal is into explanations about party rules, but leave it to the Journal to make it simple. The following story promises those of us watching tonight's primary contests that delegate rules have not been changed. Rather, where there might be confusion, it's only that we, the voters, are paying better attention this year, perhaps asking better questions. Lesson learned? ... that we citizens might be better off if we had paid attention earlier. Read more: "Delicate Dance for Delegates" by June Kronholz in today's Journal.

Super Tsunami Tuesday

My Rural America made a decision some time ago that we would wait to see who our presidential nominees are before we share much in the way of campaign news, but today is Super Tuesday when 22 states, many of them with significant numbers of rural voters, are voting so see below for some of our favorite recent news coverage. They are chosen to showcase a broad cross section of stories about the two remaining progressive candidates in the race. It bears noting that both of them -- Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have chosen to be very specific about their plans for rural America, offering detailed policies to assist the rural economy. See these plans at the end of this column. We would also be remiss if we failed to point out that neither of the two leading conservative candidates -- Senator McCain and Governor Romney, have offered specific plans for rural America.

• My Qualms Before the Storm, Salon 2/4/08
• Tuesday's Tipping Point, Boston Globe 2/5/08
• How Edwards Advanced the Debate, Boston Globe 2/2/08
  
• In Democratic Families, Politics Makes Strange Bedfellows , New York Times 2/4/08
  
• Obama, Cultivating California Spirit, Eases Clinton's Grip on the State , New York Times 2/4/08
  
• Bill Clinton's Legacy, How Former President Is Viewed Could Affect Vote , Washington Post 2/4/08
  
• Democrats Flood States With Ads as Tuesday Nears , New York Times 2/3/08
  
• Clinton Aides Hit Obama Ad -- Health Care Ad Called Misleading, Boston Globe 2/3/08
  
• Obama, Clinton Play Their Parts to Perfection by Los Angeles Times 2/2/08
• Clinton Campaigns in California, Obama Hits New Mexico, Los Angeles Times 2/2/08
• Democratic Stalemate, Washington Post 2/4/08
• Clinton, Obama, Insurance, New York Times 2/4/08
• The Cooper Concerns, New York Times 2/4/08

And here are Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama's policy proposals for rural America.

Senator Clinton: Creating Opportunity for Rural America
Senator Obama: Plan to Support Rural Communities.

Senate Makes Progress on Economic Stimulus

The Senate this evening approved (by a 80-4 vote) a motion to proceed to debate on the House-passed Economic Stimulus Bill (H.R. 5140).

It can be expected that the Senate will also hold a cloture vote on Wednesday on a substitute "manager's amendment" supported by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus. The Baucus Amendment was approved by the Finance Committee last week. If passed, the amendment could include LIHEAP proposals and FHA/Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac mortgage loan limitations. However, it is unknown whether supporters have the needed 60 votes to pass the Baucus substitute. If the cloture vote is adopted on Wednesday, a final vote could take place Friday. Republicans have indicated that they may insist on taking the full 30 hours that Senate rules allow for consideration of debate after cloture.

Warning -- $178 Billion Cut in Medicare ... and More

Oh dear ... here we go again. One of My Rural America's core values is specific to family. It celebrates children, good neighbors, friends helping friends and teamwork -- working together to solve problems. As we see it, keeping our commitment to America's seniors is part of the promise of our country as is making sure that our children are loved ... with food in their stomachs and access to education.

The President formally releases his Budget for fiscal year 2009 today. It's a budget which will dramatically cause pain in America's families who already have access to affordable health care on their list of big worries, e.g.,

• Medicare: MINUS $170 Billion for Medicare over the next five years. Cuts include MINUS $1.2 Billion for Medicaid next year and MINUS nearly $14 Billion over five years.
  
• Poison Control Centers: MINUS 62 percent cut in funding.
• Health Services for 9/11 Workers: MINUS 77 percent.
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance: MINUS 22 percent.
• Rural Health Programs: MINUS 87 percent.

Ambulances, hospices, hospitals and home care agencies will likely be most directly affected by these cuts. One small bright spot for health care is that the Budget requests come additional funds for low income families' children ... plus $19.7 billion.

Education got whacked, too, so look for equally dramatic cuts in programs like Even Start -- promoting family literacy; scholarships and; technology for schools.

Overall, it's a pretty sad state of affairs. While families all across America are struggling to balance their budgets, this Budget jumps the deficit about $400 Billion in 2008 and 2009. That's compared to the $163 Billion deficit we ran up in 2007. Meanwhile, it is America's middle class families who will have to make up the difference.

NPR Notices -- More on how George Apparently Doesn't Eat

Everyone's catching on: The President continues his silence. Determined to be relevant, he's willing to veto almost anything but funds for the continuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

NPR described the Mr. Bush's continuing silence -- first in the State of the Union, and continuing five days later, like this: "Let's see ... economy .. check. The success of the surge ... check. Renewing No Child Left Behind ... check. Nasty Iranian rulers ... check. Shot at Bill Clinton's remark about his willingness to pay more taxes ... check."

Never mind that the ability to produce our own food and feed our own people has long been a great strength of our country. Never mind that we can't support or "grow" a strong middle class if our people are hungry. Never mind that for decades U.S. farm policy has long nurtured both food producers and people who need to eat. NPR called its story, "Farmers Angry Bush Left Farmers out of Speech," but we all need to be angry -- farmers and consumers alike because when the President and his lock-step followers in the Congress stop the Farm Bill, they neglect School Lunch, Food Stamps, Food Safety, Food Security and much more, including the farm programs that act as insurance for our food producers so they can stay in business.

So we urge you: Write or call the President today. Let him know that he and his supporters made a big mistake, and it's past time to become cooperative so that we can get the Farm Bill passed and after that, get back to making the decisions necessary to get our economy working again. Click here to find out how: The White House.