By AMY LORENTZEN
The Associated Press
Friday, August 17, 2007; 11:00 PM
TAMA, Iowa -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Friday cast Washington's treatment of the nation's rural areas as a case of big business interests prevailing over the little farmer.
At a campaign event dubbed a rural summit, Obama complained that the country has handed out $1.3 billion in federal farm payments to people who aren't even farmers, with far too much money going to Fortune 500 companies that are "more than profitable enough not to take taxpayer money."
"I believe it's time to turn the page on a politics that has turned its back on rural America," Obama said at a high school in central Iowa. "While you're working hard to strengthen your farms, your families, and your communities, small businesses or main streets, our government has been working for big agribusiness."
Obama called for changes in the 2007 Farm Bill, and said he'll support lowering subsidy payments and reducing the number of multimillionaires eligible for those subsidies.
"That's why I believe we should lower the payment limit to $250,000 annually and make sure those payments go to farmers who need them _ not to millionaires who rely on the American taxpayers to protect their multimillion-dollar profits," he said.
The Illinois senator called the summit to gather policy ideas and comments from experts on rural issues. The event, titled "Real Change for Rural America," focused on rural economic development, quality of life, energy and agriculture.
Obama said he has long worked to support rural America during his time in the Illinois Legislature and the U.S. Senate.
The event included sessions on a variety of topics, in which experts and others from rural areas talked about such matters as farm prices, sustainable agriculture and how immigration policy affects agriculture. Those who attended gave special emphasis to issues including caps on subsidies, environmental concerns and how to encourage beginning farmers.
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ While a Tennessee senator, Fred Thompson kept two form letters to respond to people writing in about abortion _ one labeled "pro abortion" and the other "con abortion."
The nearly identical letters, which The Associated Press found in Thompson's papers at the University of Tennessee, were dated 1995. Both called abortion "a subject on which many people have strong and deeply held personal convictions" and said that the Republican senator generally believed "government should not interfere with individual convictions and actions in this area."
In an AP interview Friday, Thompson _ expected to announce his candidacy for president next month _ called himself "unabashedly pro-life."
Thompson's 1995 letter to abortion opponents pointed out that he voted for an amendment banning federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger.
That wasn't mentioned in his letter to abortion supporters, although it did say he opposed "the use of taxpayer funds to promote or perform abortions" and didn't believe health care workers should be pressured into performing abortions "against their personal convictions."
A staff-compiled list of Thompson's "record on abortion" cited seven pieces of legislation on which he worked to limit abortions in 1996 and none to support it.
An archive file on 1994 campaign issues contained this statement: "As your U.S. senator, I would oppose federal funding of abortions. Taxpayers' money should not be used for this activity. Also, I will support the state's right to impose reasonable restrictions such as waiting periods and parental notification. I do believe that the decision to have an early term abortion is a moral issue and should not be a legal one subject to the dictates of the government."
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) _ Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe will endorse Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former Arkansas first lady, next week in her bid for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, sources said Friday.
Sources close to Clinton's campaign told The Associated Press that Beebe would make the announcement at an event Monday in the state Capitol. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting Beebe's public announcement.
Clinton has already won the backing of top Democrats in Arkansas, where her husband Bill Clinton served 12 years as governor before beginning two terms as president in 1993.
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CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) _ The Republican Party's big spenders were thanked on Friday with a barbecue lunch with President Bush and first lady Laura Bush at a ranch neighboring the president's Texas home.
The event, which attracted 308 major donors from across the nation, was held under overcast skies that let go a few raindrops at Stan and Kathy Hickey's Broken Spoke Ranch, a 478-acre spread. Three protesters stood outside the entrance with signs that read: "Impeach," "Support Our Troops Bring them Home" and "No More Troops, No More $$."
The GOP contributors dined in air-conditioned tents on bacon-wrapped beef tenderloin and barbecue brisket, smoked turkey, St. Louis-style ribs and sausage. The meal, served family-style, also included black-eyed peas, okra and tomatoes, blue cheese mashed potatoes and blackberry and apple cobblers topped with ice cream.
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RENO, Nev. (AP) _ Former President Bill Clinton says world leaders tell him they already have a favorite for the 2008 presidential race.
"Every single political leader I talk to says, 'I hope your wife wins. We want the world to like America again,'" Clinton told people at a political rally he attended Friday after a speech at Lake Tahoe.
Clinton said his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, will help restore the nation's standing in the world.
"This is the first election in my lifetime where a substantial number of Americans will actually cast their vote based on what they think the rest of the world will think about America," he said.
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Associated Press writers Duncan Mansfield in Knoxville, Tenn., Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Ark., and Scott Sonner in Reno, Nev., contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
Obama '08: http://www.barackobama.com/