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[John] Kennedy flip-flops on bill for farmers
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Race
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| Contributor | Brandonius Maximus |
| Last Edited | Brandonius Maximus Oct 09, 2008 03:06pm |
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| Category | News |
| Media | Newspaper - New Orleans Times-Picayune |
| News Date | Thursday, October 9, 2008 09:05:00 PM UTC0:0 |
| Description | BATON ROUGE -- One month before Election Day is typically not the best time for a Louisiana political candidate to lash out against legislation designed to help the state's hurricane-stricken farmers.
But that is what state Treasurer John Kennedy did last week when he sided with a conservative Oklahoma senator who single-handedly derailed a bill that sought to provide $1.1 billion in disaster aid to farmers in Louisiana and other states affected by recent natural disasters.
Kennedy's opposition to the bill -- which he now says he supports -- appears to have handed his Democratic opponent in the Senate race, Mary Landrieu, an easy campaign issue in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
Bill had support in state
Although Kennedy's criticism of the bill was aimed at Landrieu, its chief sponsor, the measure also had support from a bipartisan group of Louisiana officials, including the state's newly elected Agriculture and Forestry commissioner, Republican Mike Strain.
Co-sponsors of the bill included GOP Sens. David Vitter, of Louisiana, and Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, both of Mississippi.
Strain, in a news release issued this week, said he spent two weeks in Washington lobbying for the measure, stating "our state economy depends" on getting cash assistance into farmers' hands quickly so they can prepare for next year's crop. "(Hurricanes) Gustav and Ike hit at harvest time, the worst case scenario for most of our farmers. They have no money coming in. They'll be strapped to honor their grain contracts and monetary commitments," Strain said.
Kennedy now says he favors the legislation, which died last week but could be resurrected next month if, as expected, Congress convenes for a post-election "lame duck" session. "I support aid for our farmers, and in particular I trust Mike Strain's judgment," Kennedy said. "If he says it's good for our farmers, I trust him." |
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