Obama appointing Monsanto buddy Tom Vilsack as USDA head would be a terrible idea

This is so frightening! Why is the government allowing this? It's bad enough that the environment, people's lives and farms and much more are being destroyed by Monsanto and it is bad enough that we are all being used as guinea pigs because they refuse to label our food, but now they after the USDA???

I am so afraid for my health, the health of my family and country right now! This is horrible!

Agreed Jan, there have been several picks that Obama has made to be on his cabinet that have raised my eyebrows. I am amazed that he is working with some of these people at all.

I don't usually complain here, but when someone posted that Clinton was asked to be SOS ( even though she wasn't the only one) it made tv here in a snap. Why not this? I can bet you that any other postings here about "appointments" will only make it to TV here if the person posting it is a supporter of Obama and it is sugarcoated.

I do see bias here regarding how people are treated by other members because of their opinions.This gets voted down simply because it doesn't make Obama look good as if this is all about him, whereas reporting about Clinton somehow makes him look like a "counciliator" when it was probably planned the whole time. I made a video after he was "elected" and congratulated him and said I would be willing to hold his feet to the fire on climate change and work to make this world a better place... that is because I put this planet first but still respect the process if he indeed was elected fairly by the majority of Americans. However, when it comes to this country and especially this planet, he does not take precedence over principle.

I find it alarming that there are supporters of this man who would place him even above this appointment, especially now with the planet in the state it is in.This is not the time for political payback. We need someone in this position who understands the relationship between the farmer and the Earth and someone who will then work to hone that relationship for the betterment of the world... not someone who kisses the ass of Monsanto, and I will fight any appointment of his that does that.

WTF - MONSANTO?! This is the best that President-Elect Obama can do with a high-profile agency that used to help the citizens & not using them as guinea pigs & then customers. Vilsack is clearly not an impartial candidate when we need accountability & transparency.

And not from special interest groups obtaining control of key positions or having them sold to the highest bidder or outsourcing can lead to questions of confidence & trust. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, he's not like the rest. Ya right.

I hate republicans.
I hate democrats too.

but I hate Monsanto the most of all.

As Governor of Iowa he actually had signing ceremonies for bills at Monsanto facilities. That speaks volumes about where his priorities would lie.

Jan, I don't mean to sound like an asshole, but can you PLEASE put contact info (for Barak and or whoever else we can talk to about our opinion against this) so we can actually speak out to him/them about this Vilsack shitbag?

I need to know what I can DO about it. Reading and then not acting is depressing to me...

I've read the transcripts of Monsanto asking congress for support. It's scary, "oh we don't have much time so we'll hear from this person" No one to show the opposition, everyone is getting a pay check. In the las financial quarter Monsanto company tripled their revenues... Also I can see there being some sway with their promise of feeding the world with their GM plants. But of course that's not going to happen. Plus it's scary that he especially wants to support GM corn. There's a good video on current about corn use in America, I recommend it to anyone who doesn't know why it's such a bad idea.

nickwe3d: Point taken as it is so representative of the system we will still have. Perhaps actually appointing a farmer instead of a Washington DC insider politician would go a long way to seeing progress.

Thank you for this post Jan - yes indeed, very very terrible idea to have this happen... what are "they" thinking.... (no need to answer that - rhetorical question!)

There is such a thing as modern warfare. Keep the faith and know there is a positive method to your President Elect approach to drawing in the enemy with non-violence.

You're right on that. It looks like we have our work cut out for us in letter writing campaigns and phone calls.

The Democrats have received over THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND according to the pie chart above and that is the number I was referring to. But it is obvious that even should he appoint someone who continues the Bush doctrine regarding Monsanto and their unfettered access to the FDA and the USDA and their secrecy to the detriment of consumer disclosure and environmental biodiversity some will find an excuse to then defend it.

Oh no they gave 345 dollars to Barack Obama, I'm so scared that his views will be influenced by such a minuscule amount! Hell, my family has given him more then that (and were middle class)

Obama's raised over 500,000,000 dollars, It is ridiculous (and unreasonable) to think he'll be swayed by such a small amount.

jan there's alway somebody who wants to start something or change the subject.

This isn't about Hillary Clinton. I suppose you then don't have a pertinent comment about the topic? I don't want the same policy wrapped in a different package. Take that any way you like.

"Heck of a job, Vilsak".