What Republicans have done in my view is that they are systematically dismantling a sense of community in America.

Americans ... want leaders who share their values, understand their needs, and respect their intelligence.

Food during my early years was a very difficult issue for me. I grew up in an addictive family. My mother had serious problems with alcohol and prescription drugs. I was an overweight kid. I can remember back in those days there weren't the strategies that there are today to deal with those issues.

One out of every 12 jobs in the economy is connected in some way, shape or form to what happens on the farm.

I think the Iraqis themselves will have to make a determination as to what type of government they ultimately come up with and what kind of nation they ultimately come up with. But they can continually use America's troops presence. The problem is not going to change until they are confronted with the reality that they have to make decisions and they have to make them themselves. They have to decide whether they want a country, whether they're willing to put their lives on the line and sacrifice for a national interest as opposed to a regional or sectarian interest.

The lack of access to proper nutrition is not only fueling obesity, it is leading to food insecurity and hunger among our children.

Over the past two years, the Obama Administration and USDA have worked to build a foundation for sustainable economic growth in rural America. At the center of our vision is an effort to increase domestic production and use of renewable energy.