DES MOINES REGISTER CHANGES ARTICLE ON BIG CLINTON BLUNDER! AGBIZ AS CHAIR, AGAINST LOCAL CONTROL

Dems Will Win

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Mon Dec-31-07 11:43 AM
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DES MOINES REGISTER CHANGES ARTICLE ON BIG CLINTON BLUNDER! AGBIZ AS CHAIR, AGAINST LOCAL CONTROL

Edited on Mon Dec-31-07 12:34 PM by Dems Will Win

THE DES MOINES REGISTER REVISED THE "PHILIPPI-LOCAL CONTROL" ARTICLE ONLINE FOR HILLARY BECAUSE IT WAS SO RUINOUS AND THEY GOT COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WRITER. IN THE INTEREST OF SEEING HOW THE NEWS IS BEING MANIPULATED, HERE IS THE ARTICLE AND THEN I WILL GIVE YOU THE SCRUBBED QUOTES. THIS IS TRULY OUTRAGEOUS. HILLARY'S PROBLEM IS THAT THE BAD VERSION WAS PRINTED AND ALREADY READ BY THE STATE. THIS AFTER HILLARY HOLDING HER "RURAL CONFERENCE" IN THE OFFICES OF MONSANTO'S LOBBYIST!

Here's the rewritten article:

Farmer Garry Klicker and some other family-farm advocates say Democrat Hillary Clinton's choice of a leader of her rural campaign committee casts doubt on her credibility on small-farm issues.

Clinton picked the owner of a large-scale livestock operation who has promoted national corporate agriculture interests to be co-chairwoman of "Rural Americans for Hillary."

That's Joy Philippi, who owns a fourth-generation Nebraska family farm with 2,000 hogs. Philippi is a recent past president of the National Pork Producers Council.

"That's the poster organization for corporate agriculture," said Klicker, who owns about 120 acres in rural Bloomfield and raises about 130 cows and calves.

Klicker said that because Clinton picked Philippi, he doesn't believe the candidate when she says she will champion small farms if she is elected president.

"I'm just very disappointed that Hillary would turn her back on us like this," said Klicker, who said he is unsure whom he will caucus for but is leaning toward Democrat Joe Biden. "She says she'll do one thing, yet when you surround yourself with people who are against the rest of us, we can't expect anything good to happen on family farm issues."

The pork producers council has lobbied against some environmental standards for the hog industry. Its members have fought efforts to give local authorities control over where livestock facilities are built, how owners must control odor, and where or how they dispose of byproducts.

Clinton, however, has called for tightening control over confined-animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs, and says she supports "local control over CAFO-siting decisions." She has said she would seek more federal control over air and water pollution from corporate factory farms.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which advocates for small farmers, also questioned Clinton's choice to pick Philippi.

"Independent, sustainable hog farmers know NPPC does not stand up for their interests," said Lisa Whelan of the community improvement organization.

Reached by telephone Thursday night after her farm chores, Philippi said: "I think people may be blending the policy of a national organization with my personal opinions."

The Clinton campaign asked state Rep. Mark Kuhn, a Charles City Democrat who has pushed for local control, to respond on its behalf. Kuhn said he trusts Clinton to be true to her word in bringing prosperity to rural America.

This was scrubbed from the rewrite of this article (in bold):

Klicker said that because Clinton picked Philippi, he doesn't believe the candidate when she says she will champion small farms if she is elected president.

"I'm just very disappointed that Hillary would turn her back on us like this," said Klicker, who said he is unsure whom he will caucus for but is leaning toward Democrat Joe Biden. "She says she'll do one thing, yet when you surround yourself with people who are against the rest of us, we can't expect anything good to happen on family farm issues."

The pork producers council has lobbied against some environmental standards for the hog industry. Its members have fought what's known as local control, which would give local authorities control over where livestock facility construction, how owners must control odor, or where or how they dispose of bi-products.

That"s the opposite of Clinton's stance. Clinton has called for tightening control over confined-animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs, and says she supports local local control over CAFO siting decisions. She has said she would seek more federal government control over air and water pollution from corporate factory farms.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which advocates for small farmers, also questions Clinton's choice to pick Philippi, who was the mouthpiece for the hog factory industry during her time as National Pork Producers Council president.

"Independent, sustainable hog farmers know NPPC does not stand up for their interests", said Lisa Whelan of the community improvement organization.

When Philippi was asked Thursday if she is personally opposed to local control efforts and government regulations of CAFOs, she said: "That's the opinion of some. I think that"s probably one of the misconceptions I don't mean to avoid your answer, but I don't want something that's going to be adversarial for the campaign. "

As council president, Philippi testified against requiring fruit, vegetables and meat producers to label the food's untry of origin so that consumers could make better decisions about what to buy. Clinton often hails this as a much-needed idea.

In October, Philippi publicly criticized the federal farm bill, saying the legislation would make the U.S. pork industry less competitive globally.

And she has been vocal in her opposition of ethanol subsidies, records show. She explained Thursday that her personal opinion is that the subsidies are not necessary, partly because they raise the price of feed corn for her animals.

Klicker remains unconvinced. "It' inconsistent for a pro-small farm politician to choose a confined-animal feeding operation owner like Philippi to be the face on her rural campaign, and to possibly influence policy in the future," he said.

Confined-animal feeding operation owners well-run facilities are a safe, efficient way to raise livestock and compete in the world market. But some Iowans like Klicker believe the facilities foul the air and the water, reduce neighbors' property values, and drive small farmers out of business.

"It' a terrible example for Hillary to set. It' politics at its worst," he said. "You pick someone to get a few more votes, someone who is actually the enemy of those who have been supporting you all along."

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071229/NEWS09/712290321/1001/NEWS

I especially loved this scrubbed quote from the Agribusiness exec Philippi:

I don't mean to avoid your answer, but I don't want something that's going to be adversarial for the campaign.

How stupid does Hillary's new co-Chair think farmers are??

Please recommend if you think it is wrong for the Des Moines Register to revise history by cleaning up this campaign report of a huge Clinton betrayal/blunder in this way.

This really could hurt Hillary in second choices and might even peel some first choices off. Please email to media, thanks. We bloggers don't like scrubbing and stealing elections like this!

UPDATE: Proof from earlier blog posting

Check the date/stamp

http://www.bleedingheartland.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=842

Had trouble pasting the link.