Sept. 23, 2004

LONDON, Ohio:  Senator Kerry was in Columbus today for a speech, but he had to cancel it because his voice gave out. Well, it’s no wonder his vocal cords are worn-down by the long campaign. On every issue it seems like he has proclaimed three or four positions.

I’m out here at London for a big farm show called Farm Science Review and it’s put on by the university. They had 130,000 farmers, students and business folks here during the past 3 days, learning about all the new practices, machinery and technology to help our American farmers keep putting food on the table for us.

On Tuesday they held a big luncheon and Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman was the main speaker. She announced that the Bush income tax cuts are saving farmers $4 Billion a year and got a big round of applause, at least from the farmers who have an income to pay taxes on. She came out against the death tax and everybody agreed, given a choice, they prefer to keep on living.

Then she said the President had approved an extra $10 Million for Ohio farmers to install some new practices and got hardly any reaction at all. I could tell the silence surprised her because she expected at least some mild appreciation for the incumbent candidate. But she should know it takes more than ten million to impress farmers when you’ve just told them they have in their pockets an extra four Billion.

One thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on here in central Ohio, this September weather has been splendid. The calendar may say it’s fall, but it feels more like August than August did. Corn and soybeans are ready to harvest, and high yields and sunshine will do more to get a farmer’s vote than any government program.

Historic quote from Will Rogers:

“When you straddle a thing it takes a long time to explain it.” Convention Articles, June 29, 1924