The Iowa Corn Growers Association sent questionnaires to the Republicans involved in this year’s caucuses, then issued grades on how it judged those candidates as part of its Iowa Corn Caucus.
The Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) took a different approach, offering its members the chance to listen in on teleconferences with some of the candidates and ask questions.
“We call that our town-hall conference call,” explains Mark Jackson, ISA president-elect. “We want to give people the opportunity to hear the candidates talk about agricultural issues.”
The first of those calls came in early December with former Georgia congressman Newt Gingrich. More than 3,000 people listened in.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was the subject of another call.
The report cards issued by the corn growers spotlighted the differences between some of the candidates.
For example, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, earned a “D” from the group, and U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., earned a “D+” while Gingrich earned an “A” and Rick Santorum earned an “A-.”
President Barack Obama earned a “B” as did former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Perry earned a “C-.” Herman Cain, who has since dropped out of the race, earned a “D.”
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Presidential Candidate [Perry] Holds Agriculture Conference Call - [audio]
No subsidies on ethanol, oil and gas, wind, etc.
CUT regulations and let the market place decide.
If states want to invest, fine, but keep the feds out of it.
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Giant ethanol maker among Newt Gingrich’s top campaign donors
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Oh, by the way, ethanol subsidies are dead. Details here and here: the short version is that the Senate back in June kicked off opposition to continued ethanol subsidies via a bipartisan amendment: it didn’t pass, but Congress has just let both the ethanol subsidy and a restrictive foreign tariff (on Brazilian sugar-cane ethanol) lapse. Given that the Iowa caucuses will be finished by the time Congress reconvenes – and given that the House of Representatives is currently chock-heavy with people who spit at the very phrase ‘ethanol subsidy’ – getting back either is going to be a problem for the domestic ethanol industry. Mind you, there are still mandates for using ethanol in place, but note again the ending of the tariff; I’m not a businessman, but effectively lowering the price of Brazilian ethanol by 54 cents/gallon while simultaneously effectively raising the price of domestic ethanol by 45 cents/gallon sounds to me like it would at least raise some intriguing alternatives.”…..
Interesting. That explains a lot. Still, I’m proud of Perry that he came out and said the truth to them instead of lying and pandering.
LLS
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Can you say ‘pandering?’
I thought you could.
Our candidate didn’t.
Subsidy sucking leaches called farmers!!!
Make ethanol illegal for automobile fuel!!!!