Why Vilsack Sucks

Sharon Astyk has a good post on why Tom Vilsack is such a bad choice for Secretary of Agriculture and what is at the heart of the problem with Obama's cabinet. In some ways, Vilsack could be the worst cabinet secretary. Vilsack is pro-ethanol, pro-farm subsidy, pro-expansion of corn production, pro-agribusiness--basically he is the ultimate representative of everything that is wrong with American agricultural policy. Of course, he's also a very powerful Democrat, former governor of Iowa, and former presidential candidate, so it's hardly a surprising choice. But as Sharon points out, we can't expect any real discussion of food policy or agricultural reforms on a national level.