A drought is decimating crops in seven states right now, but Mitt Romney’s new running mate, Paul Ryan, does not want to talk about it. He says he just wants to enjoy the Iowa State Fair today and talk about “policy things” later. He actually said that (at 1:33 into the video below):
The drought is as much of a natural disaster as any flood, hurricane or tornado. It’s the worst drought in 50 years. It’s choking the life out of corn and soybeans in the heart of America.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates farmers will harvest the smallest corn crop in decades. We’re talking about $1.8 billion in losses for ranchers and farmers.
Democrats in the Senate are trying to pass a bill that would include sweeping disaster relief for farmers and livestock producers. But Republicans won’t pass the bill.
The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture said today Paul Ryan’s budget destroys the safety net for American growers. So you’d think he would have something to say to the farmers and ranchers at the Iowa State Fair today.
He’s walking through ground zero and ignoring the destruction around him. It’s the same as wading through flood water in a storm ravaged neighborhood while refusing to talk about the storm, or the damage. You’d think Ryan would want to tell Iowans what he or Mitt Romney would do to help them save their businesses and recover from this summer’s devastating losses.
But Paul Ryan doesn’t want to talk about farm policy at the Iowa State Fair. He says he just wants to enjoy the fair. Can he really enjoy it as he strolls past the 4-H stalls with young Americans struggling to feed their livestock? Can Paul Ryan enjoy the fair as he passes crowds of Iowans whose lawns are brown, their gardens are barren, and their food prices are about to go up? What is Paul Ryan thinking as his campaign bus passes the acres and acres of scorched and under-sized corn and soybeans? If he truly wants to enjoy the Iowa State Fair, Paul Ryan should probably find the courage to grapple with the policies impacting every person there. –Jennifer Brockman, Segment Producer
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