right now on K C C. I ate news. Close up, one on one with Tom Vilsack. His reaction to the racial that hit Iowa plus Vilsack makes the case for Joe Biden, and the Democratic convention is over. The Republicans are up next. Our political panel weighs in on how both parties plan to win over islands in November. This is Iowa's news leader. This is K C. C. I ate news close off. Good morning, and thank you so much for joining us. I'm t Samu Zynga, former secretary of agriculture and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack says this November election is critical to our country. KCC as chief political reporter Cynthia Photo spoke with Vilsack on a number of topics while he virtually attended the Democratic National Convention. And I'm just wondering what your reaction is to this sport that biting is receiving from Republicans like John Kasich. Well, I think it you know that's too. He is if we're going to solve the big problems if we're going to tackle the pandemic the right way. If we're going to turn the economy around quickly, if we're going address the issue of climate change, if we're gonna repair, afraid alliances around the world. And if we're gonna protect people from future pandemics, we're not going to be able to do this with a single parties approach. We're going to have to work collaboratively together. We can't have b a D N r You know, the pandemic doesn't distinguish between D. R. I, uh, you know, the recession has not distinguished between whether you're a Democrat or Republican or an independent if you lost your job. Eso I think Vice President Biden's belief is that we when we work together, we work more powerfully and more effectively. And the fact that John Case each defect the Kane family. The fact that a number of other prominent Republicans are publicly addressing support or publicly introducing themselves as friends of Joe Biden should reassure Republicans who are disenchanted with the current administration they're looking for an option should reassure them that Joe is is somebody that they can trust to do the right thing. You talked about how Iowans, um, have been hurting from the groan of virus and also right now, following the Dre show this week, what's your assessment of the response to that so far? Well, you know, emergencies are tough things. Uh, you know, when I was governor, I would like to governor. Remember going down to a Delaware, uh, governor school. And I was This was before I was sworn in. And you're supposed to learn in two days how to be a good governor. And I was paired up with a mentoring governor who was then the governor of Georgia. And I said to him, I said, Governor, should I focus on education or health care or jobs? And he looked at me, said Emergency management. And I didn't think he heard me. So I repeated the question. He put his hand on my shoulder and he said, Son, emergency management Hay said, Uh, within six months of you being governor, something's gonna happen in your state. That's gonna be an emergency if you don't handle it very well. It won't make any damn difference what you do on health care, education and economic development. And you know what? Sure enough, within six months we had a tornado and he was absolutely right. What I learned from that lesson was that when an emergency strikes, it is not a partisan matter. It's not a partisan. It's not a time for partisanship. So the only concern that I have about how this has all been handled is President Trump's visit to Cedar Rapids. It's certainly understand why he came to see the rabbits that was appropriate. But he missed the opportunity to invite representative thinking our the opportunity to have Democratic legislative leaders from that district present during is visit that would have conveyed a sense that this is not about partisan politics. This is really about trying to find out. What can we do to help when you basically make it a partisan event? It underscores the credibility, if you will, uh, of your promises that you're making and of the of the whole purpose of the visit. So that's the only concern that I have. I mean, you can folks can talk about when emergency decoration should be filed. While I kind of it's not easy to get one of those things prepared, and it's not easy to get it approved. And if you if you don't have the right information that gets sent back and got further delays. So uh, I think now the question is whether or not the States actually going to receive the the level of support it needs so that homeowners who are devastated aren't completely bankrupt by this, Um, and the communities that are gonna have to pick up the pieces have the support from the state and federal government necessary. Um, and that is on top of the need for additional recent horses for the for the virus that are now stuck in Congress has as the both of something house Iran on break. How would you rate Governor Reynolds response to this? Speaking about how governor should bond to these sorts of crises? Well, I think given everything that she's dealing with, I you know, I think she's done fine. I don't have a complaint. You know, I think there is a lot of challenge currently in terms of the whole issue of schools and where and when and under what circumstances our kids should be back to school. There's a There's a lot of uncertainty about that, a lot of stress and anxiety about it, and I think there needs to be a continued dialogue between state officials, educators, Andi school boards to make sure that there's a meeting of the minds and the consensus about how to do this one to do it and where to do it so that people could be less anxious about it. We're seeing across the country of schools open, but it's universities or K 12 systems that the virus hits. And before you know it, you got a delay or you got it and you have to go back online or you have to disrupt it. So I really think it's gonna be important that there continued to be ongoing conversations about this. This is Miss, not easy dealing with emergencies like this. This is, uh, you know, this is a very difficult circumstance. Could you deal with a public health issue? At the same time, you're dealing with the economic consequences of its not easy thing. And I wanted to ask you a couple of questions again in regards to the storm, and farmers have taken such a hit from it, with billions of dollars and losses, millions of acres destroyed and as a former secretary of agriculture won support from the federal government, do you think farmers should get now and it Is there any good news at all for farmers this year? Well, the good news is that Congress has already passed the Corona virus, UH, bailout bills, which include support for the Department of Agriculture to give money to farmers. I don't think that's necessarily prescriptive in terms of how or when, or why are the circumstances behind how that money gets to farmers. So there is an opportunity because not all of that has been invested in all that has been spent to basically direct some of those resources to Iowa farmers. So there is a chance for USDA to provide direct assistance pretty quickly. There are obviously some of the traditional programs from crop insurance, which obviously will pay a portion of the damage that farmers have suffered, but by no means all on their also loan programs that that can allow Farmer the kind of resource to get you to the next year. Uh, you know, I think the bigger problem for farmers in the long term is whether or not we're going to. We're going to see a trade policy that doesn't royal the markets in the way in which we've seen the last three years. You know the situation with China and obviously impacted significantly markets. China's now purchasing AG products, but not necessarily the pace necessary to meet the promises under the Phase one agreement, Which means that at the end of the day, within four years, farmers will be a few steps behind where they were before President Trump became president. At the same time, we in the Midwest are particularly concerned about the bio fuel industry and the fact that this administration has yet to declare what their volume levels will be for next year. That's a problem because the industry can't make make plans. Um, and by then, normally by now those volume numbers would have been announced. Public comment would have been obtained, and there would be some certainty in the market. The concern now is that the Trump administration is waiting till after the election. Eso Therefore, you don't really know what games were being played with those volumes, and the reason why there's suspicion and concern about this is because the Trump administration is granted a number of waivers to big oil companies to sort of skirt the responsibilities and requirements of the renewable fuel standard, um, and done so at a very significant rate and have penalized and hurt the ethanol industry a very significant way. So when you combine the pandemic and its impact on the economy, with the trade wars and the low commodity prices and ethanol not being supported, it's a pretty tough spot for farmers, Right? And we wrap up our conversation with former Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack after the spring. There are a lot of famous signatures. But for Iowa, the Iowa corn growers in the Soybeans Soybean Association sent a letter of strongly worded letter to President Trump asking for him to enforce the RFs favors. How do you think? Uh ah, President Biden would support this industry. I know how he would support it because he was vice president at a time when we raise the levels, we we created a program to assist the distribution and, uh, the availability of the 15. By investing $100 million in pumping systems and distribution systems, we didn't distinguish between large and small convenience store operators. Eso we gave everybody a chance to take advantage of this program was very popular, so there was a level support. The Democratic platform contains a commitment to eat 15. The Biden Rural plan has a commitment to biofuels, so I don't have any question that he would be a supporter. His administration would be a supporter of biofuels in a way that would provide some consistency and some some predictability. Right now, we don't have the consistency and predictability, and it not only costs farmer farmers income, but it also impacts jobs and, in fact, small town economies. So it's a it's a really important deal. And, um, you know, I realized the president promised to talk T P A. Well, I'm sorry. He's the president of states. Um, it gets on Air Force money call anybody wants anywhere in the world at any time, and they'll take his goal. So it'll be interesting to see when that call is made. And when EPA makes the decision not to grant waivers, not to try toe retroactively grant waivers and when they'll announce the volume limits if they don't announce them immediately, uh, you can assume that neither the call wasn't made of the cold was effective. And if that's the case, that reinforces the notion that when when it comes to farmers or big oil, this is an administration that sides of big will do. You support President Biden's call for our proposal for a nationwide mask mandate. Look, I think President a president Biden would listen to the experts. They listen to the public health and the medical experts. And when they basically say that there are ways to contain this virus, ways to limit the damage, it does the ways in which you can reopen the economy more safely, and part of that is social distancing, and part of it is wearing a mask. Then it makes sense that we would listen to the experts and that we would follow their advice again. Compare our statistics 4% of the world's population. So the 4% of world's population 20 to 25% of illnesses, 20 to 25% of the desk. Why, when other countries mask up socially distance, very disciplined. But their economies are back. Oh, open. Their restaurants are operating in most cases, almost a full, full capacity. Why is that? Well, because they paid the changes, they've made sacrifices. They've done what they needed to do to contain the virus. And so if it takes a mandate, then that that's what it should be in order for me, to protect you and for you to protect me. Next on KCC, I use posts up. How do the Democrats do at their convention and our political panel looks ahead to the Republican convention this week in 2014? Joni Ernst Kim Welcome back to close up Last week, Democratic Party chair Tom Perez said he thinks this should be the last year for caucuses. KCC, a Stacy horse, spoke with Republican and former chief of staff to Governor Brand Stan David Omen and former Polk County Democratic chair Tom Henderson about the future of the Iowa caucuses. The news that was made earlier in the week. Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez said the 2020 Iowa caucuses should be the last Iowa caucuses. He wants to see the States go to primary system instead. Tom, were you surprised to hear this? No, not at all. I kind of thought this might be the last time for the Iowa caucuses. Unfortunately, the way things work out, they've been after us for a long, long time. Both New Hampshire and Iowa. It was a matter of time, but I didn't think after the last talks we're probably going to survive. And David, I've gotta ask your reaction to the very different reactions from the from the state party chairman. I would. Democratic Chairman Mark Smith said the focus should be on the 2020 election, not 2024 whereas Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufman says now is the time to pressure the national party so Iowa can maintain and retain its first in the nation status. What's your take on the very different responses by the party chairman? Well, I could understand, Uh uh, what? The Democrats would put all their eggs in the basket of 2021. It wouldn't change. The lighthouse or Jeff Kaufman is right. This convention, even though it's virtual and very few people, will be in attendance. Some Republican, sir Maya, what will be there? A swell people from other states. And so it's a chance for us to make our case. We always talk about this. They see that, you know, everybody thinks the caucuses are good for Iowa. Guess what? I was good for the country because we do vet these candidates. We take a long lead time. People weren't really hard voters who show up on caucus night care. The results didn't work out this time for the Democratic Party. We've had a glitch or two on the Republican side. That doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater, so I don't think they're over. Certainly some of us and some Democrats with them. I'm talking. I want to keep fighting to keep by one Number one. Tom, You said you weren't surprised to hear Chairman Perez say these things. Is Iowa at risk, at least on the Democratic side of losing the Caucasus? I think so. I agree with David. It's unfortunate because I think nationally we get a lot for the nation to vet. Candidates didn't cost a lot of money to come here. We're very open minded, and I thought we picked good nominees. The downside was caucuses really work best when it's a landslide. If it was a really a photo finish, that's where we got into trouble because it wasn't set up for, you know, some type of precise, accurate counting that you get from an election process. That was the one place where we typically regarding problems. The National party that was the one that saddles for that computer system that didn't work. I think Preston takes more slides. Bully for that. I've never heard him do it. I would agree with that town. David, can the Republicans continue to hold a caucus without the Democrats? It would be harder. States always work to be hip joined with the two parties on the same date. Uh, and it just helps when the national media come here front, cover the campaigns, they have both underway at the same time. I know we're going toe Persevere. Whichever party wins the White House this fall, Uh, particularly it's the Democratic Ah, a new president. And there's someone certainly about whether he would serve a second term. Certainly on the Republican side, winner lose. There will be a contest in 2024. So we're going to do everything we can to keep. I was number one for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Okay, Now let's move on to the convention the Democratic National Convention much different this year than in years past, obviously, due to the Corona virus pandemic and all virtual convention speeches not live in front of the thousands of party faithful that we are accustomed to seeing Tom, How did it work. What's your assessment? Will? Naturally, when you have a convention, things could get a little messy, you know? And I think the Democratic Party has certainly had their share of those in this particular situation. Everything was choreographed Ranta in a timely fashion, and I thought they did a really nice job with format and also presentation. So in some respects I thought it went well that way. All of us have more of a gathering to get all the Democrats together and have a chance to rub elbows. But for what it was, I thought it went well. And David, what's your assessment? On the tape versus live speeches? And the highly conventions are highly choreographed by nature anyway. But in this manner, it was much more so because of the taped speeches. Well, they did a good mix of taped, pre recorded been yet segments, but also a lot of cut ins. You know this from your work in television. Wife feeds worked well. For the most part. I love the one from Rhode Island of the camp. The celebration of the calamari come back for for running. That was maybe the best humor. Look, I I think the Democrats wouldn't have this convention trying to do three things. One was to put their party back together after a royal caucus primary season, to try to stay in the center left lane on the left shoulder, where you usually get run off the road and to reintroduce or introduce for younger voters. Joe Biden. For the most part, I think I think they hit their marks of on those goals and raised the bar for the Republicans coming up this week. Re wrap up our conversation with our political panel. Next. Yeah, welcome back to KCC. I ate news. Close up. KCC eyes Stacy Horse wraps up the conversation with our political panel looking ahead to the Republican convention. What do you think that I want should be watching for as they tune in to the Republican National Convention this week? It wasn't closely to what the plans are for the next four years. I don't think they're gonna have much. I think it's mostly an attack on the Democrats rather than a plan for the future. So that's where I would be looking to see what they're gonna be talking about. The other thing I would look at is the range of speakers. David is indicated. The party's unified, and I believe David because David actually knows what the Republican Party is doing, and I trust his judgments. But if it's just a bunch of Trump supporters that would indicate lack of unity. So we'll see how many folks show up and if they have that broad base of support. The Democrats were strong where we had Bernie Sanders, and you know, the whole range of candidates talking in favor by and that David A lot has been made about the tone of the speech is that we saw the Democrats give in this past week looking ahead to the Republican convention. What about the tone of those speeches? The tone of the president's speech? What kind of tone does he need to set? Well, conventions are about stirring up the base, and they're about drawing sharp lines between the parties and the agendas and platforms. And and all of that, Um, I've already Klum. It'd look the president is the president of his best asset. Now is is the fact that he's in the White House and he can when he chooses, uh, show some command, uh, and show some leadership. Uh, he needs to talk about that and then fill that and demonstrate that over the next couple of months and keep that contrast or have other surrogates talk about that contrast. Lift up his rhetoric and his game, if you will, and give voters a better sense of what he might be able to do in a second term that he's gay. If he gets Duncan, the president's tone in his convention speech changed the minds. Well, it has to, because right now I don't think the voters are convinced that that is their Stacey. If you look at the numbers right now in the polling, he is far behind where he was when he was going into Hillary Clinton. In fact, the way the Electoral College is leading right now, we said this morning was 337 to 201 and that would be almost landslide proportions. And he's trailing in all of the swing states. Except for Iowa in Texas, Texas is really a swing state that has become one under discussion, So I thought it mentioned those All the other states are pro trump. I mean, pro. I'm sorry, Biden, by as many as 5 to 7% which is far beyond the you know, that margin of error. So, David, what do then? Republicans hope that voters take away from the convention this next week with Texas being a potential swing state, which is having happened in a long time, right? Not for a couple of generations states, Texas has been reliably red. You know, vote is growing in Texas and it is a competitive state. Uh, if we lose that state, it's virtually impossible to win the Electoral College presidency. And thank you for joining us for KCC. I ate news. Close up. We'll see you back here next Sunday. No.