I'd like to suggest Jim Hightower as Secretary of Agriculture.

[Ken Burch]

That would REALLY be "Change we could believe in".

[BrklynLiberal]

1. He should have some place in this administration.

[Mister Ed]

2. I'll second that!

For those unacquainted, Jim was Texas Secretary of Agriculture, and now publishes a mighty fine progressive periodical called "The Hightower Lowdown".

www.hightowerlowdown.org

[mirrera]

3. Wow... Thank You! DU has been strangely wastelandish...n/t

[mirrera]

4. Oh yeah... K&R

[scarletwoman]

5. That's a wonderful idea!

Probably won't happen though, Hightower is obviously way too left for what Obama is about.

sw

[codjh9]

6. GREAT suggestion!!! Yes! I really like the guy.

[Triana]

7. change.gov - send it in. n/t

[Ken Burch]

9. I did, along with some other stuff.

In fact, I started a thread on my Change.gov entry:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=7909605&mesg_id=7909605

[OHdem10]

8. No Liberals welcome.

[texastoast]

10. Absolutely with that

He had made a lot of progress here, working with getting the organic farming movement better established. He has wonderful visionary foresight and a helluva wit.

We all need to post that on Change.gov.

[appal_jack]

11. YES! n/t

[KT2000]

12. Excellent idea! n/t

[AspenRose]

13. He'd be a great pick.

[Radical Activist]

14. Please no.

I'd prefer a serious policy expert without the gimmicky cowboy hat.

[codjh9]

16. He WAS the Texas Ag commissioner before the chemical-industry-backed dumbass Rich Perry

defeated him. He's done a lot of things, has a lot of experience.. I think he's better than you do. He's only got the 'gimmicky' cowboy hat because he actually grew up in older days in a small town in north TX. I love a socialistic quote from his dad: "Everybody does better when everybody does better".

[tbyg52]

27. Might want to consider researching before condemning. nt

[Ikonoklast]

37. Dumbest post ever.

You know nothing about Jim Hightower.


Bet you know less about Che.

[codjh9]

15. Just went to change.gov & emailed 'em about him

[Ken Burch]

17. Thanks. Maybe we can start something.

n/t.

[TexasProgresive]

18. He was so good here

He was behind some initiatives that really supported small and real family farms. All that went away when the big agribusiness types got Good Hair Perry. It's funny even right wing fundy types that were involved in small farming supported Jim. I just love him.

[thenam]

19. Great idea. But he isn't right-enough for this cabinet.

That pretty much rules out Jim Hightower.

[Rowdyboy]

20. Excellent suggestion....wish it was so

[bvar22]

21. I'm FOR IT, but....

....Jim has criticized BIG Corporations, so I don't think he will have a place on the team this administrations is putting together.
Sad really.

"The only thing in the Middle of the Road
are Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos!"---Jim Hightower

[tbyg52]

32. Well, if Obama won't hire some anti-corporatists,

we might as well say "meet the new boss, (too much the) same as the old boss."

Stopping torture and global warming is a start, but corporations are the root of the problem, IMHO.

Yeah, I know prying corporations away from power will be a hard thing to do, but we gotta at least make a start at doing it.

[bedslave]

22. How about Ronald McDonald?

[GreenPartyVoter]

40. Do you know anything at all about Mr. Hightower or was this a random snarky answer?

[tbyg52]

43. Wow, that one didn't last long. nt

[TexasObserver]

23. Jim's a great guy, but he screwed the pooch in 2000 with Nader.

His appointment would be DOA.

[tbyg52]

29. Yeah, I sure wish he hadn't done that.

I'd love for third parties to be a viable force, but in our system as it is right now they just are not. Just spoilers.

[TexasObserver]

30. I worked in a couple of Jim's campaigns, and really love the guy.

[tbyg52]

31. Oh, I'm a *huge* fan -

I'm just concerned that you think Nader is an impediment. *I'm* quite willing to forgive him for it. :hi:

Edited to add a friendly wave when I thought "*I'm*" rather than just "I'm" might have been to much.... ;)

[TexasObserver]

33. I just don't think Democrats will ever give him a pass on that.

Even as a Democrat, he had plenty of enemies.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. Republicans are okay in the cabinet

but Democrats won't give Hightower a chance because he supported Nader? That's what's wrong with this party.

[TexasObserver]

36. Well, after they let Lieberman walk, maybe they'd let Hightower.

Jim's biggest problem, however, is that he has no constituency that could push his name. The president will want a person at AG who will be a great liaison to the farm states. While Jim is great on farm issues, his liberal/progressive history, and his extensive written commentaries, would prove a problem in confirmation and media vetting, IMHO.

Jim's got three problems at work and Nader is only one of them. Too few who would push for him, too many who would oppose him on politics, and the Nader thing.

[Blue_In_AK]

41. It's a shame, but you're no doubt right.

I sure wish I was running the world. :)

[Sebastian Doyle]

38. If Hillary can get away with the Iraq War vote, Kyl-Lieberman and "Obliterate Iran"

Then Jim Hightower should be forgiven for voting for Ralphie.

[Raineyb]

24. Excellent idea! n/t

Regards

[Duppers]

25. W00T !!

yes!

[Orsino]

26. Fuck, yeah! n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

28. Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

But I endorse Jim Hightower anyway! :)

[Blue_In_AK]

34. I LOVE Jim Hightower.

That would be a great choice.

[GreenPartyVoter]

39. I was thinking that, too. I heard him speak a few years back. What an amazing guy

[Tumbulu]

42. Great! I agree, he did so much for organic agriculture while head of the TDA

I hope he either has a place in the admin or is listened to.

[TheFarseer]

44. I'd like to suggest someone who knows what they are doing

and not a stooge with an agenda like bush's crony whose top priority was to get all the illegal immigrants possible in to pick fruit.

[DCBob]

45. Totally agree. He would be great!

Do you think he is interested? Is it possible?