Grassley On USDA Deputy Secretary: ‘Whatever Her Name Is, I Have Read Some Things’ That Concern Me
Grassley On USDA Deputy Secretary: ‘Whatever Her Name Is, I Have Read Some Things’ That Concern Me
During a teleconference today with reporters, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), expressed “caution” about Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan. The Des Moines Register asked Grassley if he had any response to Obama’s recent subcabinet appointments at the Agriculture Department. He responded by saying that he believed that most of the nominees where “well qualified” except for — referring to Merrigan — “the woman from Tufts”:
GRASSLEY: I think everybody’s well qualified to do what they’re doing, and there’s only one that I would raise a question about. And I probably shouldn’t be raising a question except some things that I’ve read about where she’s coming from, and I don’t remember her name, but the woman from Tufts.
QUESTION: Kathleen Merrigan.
GRASSLEY: What’s her name?
QUESTION: Kathleen Merrigan.
GRASSLEY: Yes. Whoever – whatever her name is, I’ve read some things that would make some caution — cause me to be cautious about her, but I need to get acquainted with her because it’s not fair just to read third-party points and know exactly where she’s coming from.
Asked to explain specifically what gave him pause about Merrigan, Grassley responded:
GRASSLEY: I think, with – I don’t know whether I can point to a specific thing, but it tends to me to be having an unrealistic view of American production agriculture.
It’s not entirely clear why Grassley hasn’t had a chance to “get acquainted” with Merrigan. After all, he sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee which held her confirmation hearing on April 1. If the senator missed the hearing, he can “get acquainted” by watching Merrigan’s testimony on the Agriculture committee website.
The “third-party” talking points that the senator is currently basing his opinion on appear to be from the agribusiness community. In response to the White House announcing her nomination in February, Steve Dittmer of the Agribusiness Freedom Foundation attacked Merrigan as unqualified:
Kathleen Merrigan has absolutely no real-world agricultural experience. Her career has been strictly in political (including Leahy and Kennedy), university or government positions. Her interface with agricultural producers has been in developing organic farming standards, hardly a place for even outside exposure to mainstream agricultural needs and problems. Her most recent position was a so-called “agricultural, food and nutrition” program at Tufts University in Boston. … That program is charged with “social change” and generating “models of alternative systems.”
In reality, it is precisely because Merrigan has so much experience in crafting and researching agricultural policy — in “university or government positions” — that her nomination drew “cheers from food-safety advocates.” Indeed, as a staffer on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Merrigan helped develop the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 which “created national standards for organic foods and a federal program to accredit them.” Under President Clinton, Merrigan worked for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service where she “worked on many conventional USDA agriculture programs.”
Most recently, Merrigan headed the Agriculture, Food and Environment Program where she researched, among other things, sustainable development and policy implementation. Whatever part of Merrigan’s resume that Grassley finds troubling, he’s a bit late to the game. The Senate confirmed Merrigan on April 2.
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I don’t know whether I can point to a specific thing,
April 28th, 2009 at 5:42 pm—
Then do a Bachmann and just make some goofy shit up
:|
If he didn’t know what her name was,….then how does he know what he read was about her?
April 28th, 2009 at 5:46 pm“Grassley On USDA Deputy Secretary: ‘Whatever Her Name Is, I Have Read Some Things’ That Concern Me”
lol
“The Senate confirmed Merrigan on April 2.”
lol lol A gift that keeps on giving…..
April 28th, 2009 at 5:48 pmWhat a report that must have been. I have to wonder what this guy would call it.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:48 pmwhatever her name is?
That’s like saying you people or that one. What an unqualified @sshole. Get Grassley out…I never did like this guy.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:49 pmGrassley is just one more example of a corporate facist, criminalistic, traitor in our country…
April 28th, 2009 at 5:52 pmI’m picturing a big NO button. Or a form letter.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pmhe read some things? sources please. When was the last time a real politician said “i have read some things…”? Clown!
April 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pmWTF?
He was told that he should object to an appointment, but he’s not sure who or why, just that he should object, so he is.
Another reason why the GOP doesn’t deserve to be in government.
Governing with one party is not a good thing; I believe we really do need more than one party to govern well, but the GOP is abdicating responsibility; they are committing suicide.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:58 pmWhat do they do in those guberments and universities anyway?
All she ever did with her life was campaign for Barack Obama!
/ snark
April 28th, 2009 at 5:58 pmSee what happens when the lemmings don’t get the updated talking points. The actors need their scripts, it’s in the SAG collective bargaining agreement.
April 28th, 2009 at 5:59 pm“Look, I just barely had time to read the Republican caucus talking points memo off the fax before I came into this interview. And my position is clear: what’s her name did some stuff sometime with which I am gravely concerned, in my official and very serious capacity as a United States Senator.”
April 28th, 2009 at 6:02 pmMegaloptera McWars Says:
What do they do in those guberments and universities anyway?
All she ever did with her life was campaign for Barack Obama!
/ snark
===========
Why don’t you go and apply to a ‘university’ to find out for yourself. Sheesh!!
And to find out what goes on in the ‘government’ watch C-Span and visit TP regularly.
/snark
April 28th, 2009 at 6:03 pmGrassley’s tone(deafness) and contempt for Merrigan is quite evident. Must be his fear of someone with a brain and knowing how to use it.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:04 pmGRASSLEY: Yes. Whoever – whatever her name is, I’ve read some things that would make some caution
– - Oh, like a woman who may have a pro-choice view on abortion? Yeah, and of course that’s very pertinent to a position in the Agriculture Dept.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:05 pmMerrigan will get confirmed, I have full confidence in that she will be appointed.:)
April 28th, 2009 at 6:09 pmlink
The so-called doctoral program she was in:
link
April 28th, 2009 at 6:09 pmBadmoodman Says:
GRASSLEY: Yes. Whoever – whatever her name is, I’ve read some things that would make some caution
- – Oh, like a woman who may have a pro-choice view on abortion? Yeah, and of course that’s very pertinent to a position in the Agriculture Dept.
A woman with her own opinion is a new thing to many Republicans on the Hill.
Then again, many powerful Republican males like women with the IQ of a turnip. That’s why beauty pageant contestants are like running water to them.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:11 pmShe was already confirmed weeks ago.
This moron Grassley is just doing what apparently Republicans collectively decided to do once President Obama was elected.
Work against the President and the People, at every turn.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:15 pmRepublican can theme song for all occasions:
I don’t know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I’m against it.
Your proposition may be good,
But let’s have one thing understood,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it,
I’m against it.
I’m opposed to it,
On general principle, I’m opposed to it.
[chorus] He’s opposed to it.
In fact, indeed, that he’s opposed to it!
For months before my son was born,
April 28th, 2009 at 6:15 pmI used to yell from night to morn,
Whatever it is, I’m against it.
And I’ve kept yelling since I first commenced it,
I’m against it!
Varanus komodoensis
There may be a misunderstanding. My post was a snark. Also, TP’s post mentions that she was confirmed April 2nd, so Grassley is speaking after the fact. I’ve been posting at TP for over year, so I do have better understanding of how government works than I did before I came in. :)
April 28th, 2009 at 6:18 pmWAYNEBRO Says:
She was already confirmed weeks ago.
This moron Grassley is just doing what apparently Republicans collectively decided to do once President Obama was elected.
Work against the President and the People, at every turn.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:25 pm=============
My apologies, I was reading an article on Johnson while typing this post. A lot going on today!!
Added Grassley, “wait, I’m on what committee now? Huh? Where? Bmlbmmm…” Before drifting back to sleep.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:27 pmElBruce Says:
lol
April 28th, 2009 at 6:29 pmGood post Ryan,
I thought Senator Grassley was above this, but apparently not. If he’s got an issue with Merrigan, then he should lay it out there plain and simple – if he’s got a better idea then he should bring that up too instead of just criticizing.
-Areg
April 28th, 2009 at 6:31 pmI think the public should be informed that they are about to be subjected to an onslaught of empty republican talking point smears and slogans. People should take this to mean they are giving up on legislation altogether.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:31 pmChuck’s working hard to do for healthcare, what America did for food safety, make it more dangerous. Our leaders know nothing about quality.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:35 pmI can’t believe Grassley didn’t know Merrigan anyway.
Everyone knows Kate Merrigan. She’s the sister of Julie Merrigan and the daughter of the late Clem Merrigan.
:|
She and Julie own “The Big Muddy” as I recall.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:36 pmOh, boy…Grassley’s really having an off day, isn’t he? Sounds like he didn’t get his cup of coffee this morning. I mean…raising concerns which he can’t manage to describe in detail concerning a Cabinet appointee whose name he can’t remember who was confirmed nearly a month ago by his very own committee??? Ye gods…that was a pretty monumental gaffe, if you ask me.
Are the good people of Iowa completely certain that Grassley’s still capable of doing his job? I know that if any of my colleagues demonstrated such a high degree of forgetfulness and cloudy thinking during a business conference — no matter how informal — I’d be inclined to keep an eye over that person for the next few weeks in case he’s not all right…
April 28th, 2009 at 6:36 pmThe “third-party” talking points that the senator is currently basing his opinion on appear to be from the agribusiness community.
Jason Jones did a hilarious similar schtick on The Daily Show last night:
Jon: And where did you get these “facts” on global warming?
Jason: From some guy, ok?
April 28th, 2009 at 6:41 pmAnother genius opinion pulled out someone’s uninformed planet of uranus.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:46 pmThis is proof that the republicans don’t read things. Ever.
April 28th, 2009 at 6:53 pmGrassley: I really don’t have any reason to object to the nomination/confirmation except to be an obstructionist a$$wipe. Heck I don’t even remember her name.
De Stupit attacks again.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:06 pmOT
April 28th, 2009 at 7:12 pmSebelius was confirmed by the Sente.
So all Grassley does is occassionally listen to agribusiness over lunch and then scan a document they hand him with all of their own points about non-business friendly people in govt.
How do these clowns get elected anyway?
April 28th, 2009 at 7:17 pmThe problem with our conservative friends is that they know so much that isn’t so.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:24 pmSen. Grassley is one of the reasons I left Iowa. He’s an “aw shucks” guy a “rock-ribbed republican”. He’s a bigtime turd farmer from eastern Iowa in reality and a national embarassment to most of us ex-Iowans. The fact he would oppose organic and sustainable farm practises is no surprise as the guy pees Roundup and other farm chemicals. Judge us by Harkin and Obama and not “Ground Chuck”.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:33 pmI get the impression these wingnuts with (R) associated with their names know they must oppose anything the president appoints until the other wingnuts give them the okay. I don’t know if they can go to the restroom without permission. What a worthless lot. These guys are drawing a salary paid with our tax dollars.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:39 pmIf Grassley really had serious concerns about Merrigan, why didn’t he raise them at her confirmation hearing? Did he even mention them? Can we get a transcript on this?
This is a serious matter: if he did have concerns, and failed to mention them at her hearing, then he is derelict in his Senatorial responsibility to provide Advice and Consent to the President. If he’s only going to complain to the Des Moines Register and not in the hearing room, then he’s got no business even being in the Senate.
If I were a conservative, this should piss me off. I mean, as Dems we’re used to our reps talking tough to the cameras and then rolling over and playing dead when it counts… but now Republican senators are doing it? From a partisan perspective, all I can say is awesome.
.
barfly Says:
Jason Jones did a hilarious similar schtick on The Daily Show last night:
“John, I’m standing here at the Center of Stuff You Heard from Some Guy, and they say…”
.
Marie Says:
OT
Sebelius was confirmed by the Sente.
Yay, now we have somebody to run HHS! I hope she’s ready to hit the ground running, seeing as how there’s currently a (hopefully temporary) health crisis already going on.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:39 pmProgressive Republican Says:
The problem with our conservative friends is that they know so much that isn’t so.
Except that he doesn’t seem to be very clear on what it is that he’s supposed to have a problem about, much less who he has the problem with. I guess that’d make it an “unknown known.”
April 28th, 2009 at 7:41 pmWell if Brownie (aka Michael D. Brown, ex Bush FEMA director) did a heckuva job during Katria and his only other experience in disaster planning was being counsel to the International Arabian Horse Association, then I’m sure the GOP will have no trouble with Merrigan.
April 28th, 2009 at 7:46 pmAt least when the cross-dressing FBI Hoover made insinutations, he’d name the recipient (I’ve heard that MLK is a communist, etc.).
Now the insinuations are against anyone fitting the description “What’s her name” ?
Let me make a guess, SECRETARY Merrigan refused to agree with Bachman that CO2 is a good thing ?
April 28th, 2009 at 7:55 pmMapleStreet Says:
Let me make a guess, SECRETARY Merrigan refused to agree with Bachman that CO2 is a good thing ?
Has a uterus + not a good Republican = for women’s rights = baby killer.
Never mind that Ag has nothing to do with abortion.
Never mind that abortion is currently not illegal, under the law that exists right now at present.
The Republicans all got a memo that says oppose any Obama apopintee to anything who doesn’t want to throw sobbing 18-year old girls in prison who accidentally got knocked up but don’t want to end up on welfare. And her name was apparently on that list.
This guy’s totally sleepwalking either way. You call this effective “opposition?”
April 28th, 2009 at 8:54 pmGrassley: I’ve read some things that would make some caution — cause me to be cautious about (fill in the blank with Democratic nominee). I think, with – I don’t know whether I can point to a specific thing, but (fill in the blank with Democratic nominee) tends to me to be having an unrealistic view of American (fill in the blank with subject in question).
April 28th, 2009 at 9:25 pmGlad to see he’s doing his job…
April 28th, 2009 at 9:29 pmAre these people for real?! Good. God.
April 28th, 2009 at 10:42 pmIMPEACH:
worstbailoutintheworld.com
Your tax donations pay my salary!
April 28th, 2009 at 11:27 pmThanks so much TP,
Keith Olbermann
still waiting for the part where she isn’t qualified. Yeah, also we don’t want community organizers for presidents.
aka lobbying from ConAgra.
check out the link to Dittmer’s blog. What a cowboy hat wearing D-bag.
April 29th, 2009 at 12:17 amI guess Grassley has a combo of Alzheimer’s and Republican obstructionist dysphoria.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:21 amThanks Sites Sesli Sohbet
April 30th, 2009 at 8:34 amSesli Chat
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