Agriculture Chairman Frank D. Lucas says he's “under attack” by outside groups for his role in drafting a farm bill abhorred by many conservatives. The Oklahoma Republican’s comments at a town hall meeting Monday come as GOP leadership back in Washington consider a path forward for the five-year reauthorization of the country’s farm programs. The legislation suffered a surprise defeat on the House floor last month, for which conservative advocacy groups like the Club for Growth and Heritage Action take much of the credit. "They're coming after me,” Lucas reportedly told constituents, according to the Tulsa World. “They are all special interest groups that exist to sell subscriptions, to collect seminar fees and to perpetuate their goals. "You've got to understand: They don't necessarily want a Republican president or a Republican Congress," Lucas continued in response to a constituent, who at the meeting had cited an analysis of the farm bill provided by Heritage Action. “They made more money when [Democrat] Nancy [Pelosi] was speaker. ... It's a business." (more…)
