Mike Johanns: Against The Farm Bill Before I Was For It

Mike Johanns has started to realize that the position he took as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture - opposing farm subsidies - is politically untenable in Nebraska. So, he's doing what any good Nebraska Republican does when presented with a contradiction in their record: He's ignoring it.

See, President Bush is about to veto the Farm Bill - an imperfect bill that nonetheless provides needed relief to Nebraska farmers - because it doesn't fit the model that he and Mike Johanns laid out. Johanns abandoned work on the Farm Bill to run for Senate, but while he was still at the USDA, advised Bush to veto the Democratic version of the Farm Bill that was being considered by the House.

Now, Johanns says, he would have voted for the bill.

Nope, no contradiction there.

Saying one thing in Washington and then coming back to Nebraska and saying another? Why, I do believe that's what Nebraskans are sick and tired of. Enough of Washington "Values." We need more than that from our leaders.