WaPo Gushes All Over Vilsack

The Washington Post has a sweet litte soft sell of Tom Vilsack, painting the new USDA Secretary as reaching out to "eaters." From the article:

[Vilsack] called for a "new day" for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s sprawling bureaucracy, which he believes should champion not only farmers but also everyone who eats.

"This is a department that intersects the lives of Americans two to three times a day. Every single American," he said. "So I absolutely see the constituency of this department as broader than those who produce our food — it extends to those who consume it."

OMG! Like, totally awesome, huh?

And apparently that’s good enough for the WaPo, who pushes that ball forward for Vilsack for the duration of the article: 

His first official act was the reinstatement of $3.2 million in grant funding for fruit and vegetable farmers that had been rescinded in the final days of the Bush administration. Though the dollar amount was small, Vilsack said it sent a message of his emphasis on nutritious food.

Vilsack, dude, were you at the Obama inaugural ball?? You can’t emphasize crap in Washington for a measly $3.2 million. That’s almost what Daschle owed in taxes on his limo driver!

I exaggerate in good fun. The article finishes with:

[Vilsack] said he wants to expand farmers’ choices to include opportunities in energy — such as wind, solar and geothermal power — and in the growing market for organic and whole foods.

Apparently the Secretary didn’t want to be quoted on these matters, so the writer had to tell us what Vilsack intends to do. I mean, we aren’t even treated to follow-up on how best to "expand farmers’ choices," either, nor pressure to answer a tough question, like "If the entire US corn crop would only offset 12% of gasoline usage, why are y’all taking us anywhere remotely in the direction of ethanol?"

Anyway. I wax cynical again. But this article reminds me of a buddy who interviewed Rep. Collin "Organics Are Dumb" Peterson on camera not three months before Peterson started wrangling the last Farm Bill as House Ag Committee Chair. On camera, Peterson laid down the sweetest, most progressive soliloquy on local foods you ever did hear. And what did the local food movement get in the Farm Bill from him? Squat.

Eyes on the prize, people. Let’s just keep our expectations of Mr. Vilsack well managed until the rubber hits the road, k?