News
Kennedy’s death could change committee assignments
Senator Ted Kennedy’s death will set off a series of changes in the Senate, including a possible change at the helm of the Agriculture Committee. That according to a report on farmfutures.com.
Kennedy served as chair of the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Next in line to chair the committee is Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, who is currently chair of the Senate Ag Committee. American Farm Bureau spokesman Mace Thornton says, while Harkin’s always been committed to agriculture, he also has a keen interest in health issues. Should Harkin switch to chair Health, Thornton says that-under one scenario-Arkansas’s Blanche Lincoln could succeed Harkin as head of the Ag Committee.
There are several senators ahead of Lincoln for that duty, including Conrad of North Dakota, Baucus of Montana and Leahy of Vermont. But Thornton says they all chair major committees already and there is some belief that they would not move to Agriculture.
We are screwed no matter what happens at this point. Quite frankly I would like to see someone like Derry Brownfield or Orion Samuleson in there or both! Let me put it this way, if a bunch of us were all in an airplane together, who would we want flying the airplane? A) The guy who dresses nice, gives a great speech that someone else wrote and is a country club buddy of some other politicians? B) The guy who knows how to fly the plane? Answer; all Blue Dog Democrats and all Republicans picked B!