iowa is actually developing wind energy and they hope to be a leader in its development; the former maytag plant is now turning out wind turbines.

Obama doesn’t support ethanol because of Iowa. He supports it because of Illinois.

Vilsack is TERRIBLE (and I’m from Iowa).

Go see the Organic Consumers Association Page – at least.
Six Reasons Why Obama Appointing Monsanto’s Buddy, Former Iowa Governor Vilsack, for USDA Head Would be a Terrible Idea

and in case you wanna know some of these reasons without leaving FDL:

* The biggest biotechnology industry group, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, named Vilsack Governor of the Year. He was also the founder and former chair of the Governor’s Biotechnology Partnership.

* When Vilsack created the Iowa Values Fund, his first poster child of economic development potential was Trans Ova and their pursuit of cloning dairy cows.

* Vilsack was the origin of the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, which many people here in Iowa fought because it took away local government’s possibility of ever having a regulation on seeds- where GE would be grown, having GE-free buffers, banning pharma corn locally, etc. Representative Sandy Greiner, the Republican sponsor of the bill, bragged on the House Floor that Vilsack put her up to it right after his state of the state address.

* Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocated across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack’s history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid. An activist from the west coast even made this youtube animation about Vilsack
The airplane in this animation is a referral to the controversy that Vilsack often traveled in Monsanto’s jet.

*Vilsack is an ardent support of corn and soy based biofuels, which use as much or more fossil energy to produce them as they generate, while driving up world food prices and literally starving the poor.

didn’t Vilsack have a campaign logo that resembled the IngSoc V from 1984 (when he ran his 2 minute long campaign for the presidency)?

Tom Vilsack was the first to throw his hat into the Democratic Presidential contest. (HRC payed his campaign debts) He deserves something. He does and will work hard. An eight(8) year term as Governor of one of the most Agriculturally successful states in America should give assurance. He may have worked for the corporate overlords at times, but what former DLC’er hasn’t?

The chances of getting someone in this position who would a) not overly alarm the establishment, as Obama seems concerned about, and is b) opposed to ethanol, was always small. Ethanol’s screamingly popular, even if it is ridiculous.