McCain Campaign Press Release - Wisconsin Dairy Farmer Bill Bruins Joins McCain-Palin 2008 Farm & Ranch Team National Steering Committee

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today McCain-Palin 2008 announced that Bill Bruins, a dairy farmer from Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, joined the McCain-Palin Farm & Ranch Team National Steering Committee. Bruins joins a distinguished team of elected officials and leaders in agriculture who share a common goal with John McCain: to provide the leadership necessary to create prosperity in America's rural heartland.

"John McCain understands agriculture's need for a comprehensive national energy policy that will combat rising energy costs," Bruins said. "I support John McCain because he will foster greater opportunities for agriculture to thrive in a market-driven society by reducing taxes and government regulations. Most importantly, he understands that reducing trade barriers expands international commerce and increases farmers' income."

In addition to serving on the McCain-Palin Farm and Ranch Team National Steering Committee, Bruins joins former Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Jim Harsdorf as a Wisconsin state co-chair on the Wisconsin McCain-Palin Farm & Ranch Team.

"Bill's understanding of agriculture from both state and national public policy involvement makes him a great addition to the McCain-Palin team in Wisconsin," Harsdorf said. "Bill Bruins is a hands-on dairy and crop producer who understands the importance of John McCain's support for free trade, his commitment to reducing the inheritance and capital gains tax on farmers and his plan to reduce high energy costs by pursuing domestic energy sources."

The continuing success of American agriculture and the health of America's rural heartland require a leader who understands that productivity and innovation are created by the effort, ingenuity and investment of individual Americans. As president, John McCain will address the key issues facing agriculture and rural America:

• Establishing a comprehensive energy strategy
• Controlling taxation and regulation
• Judicial restraint and preserving property rights
• Providing a sustainable, market-driven risk management system for farmers
• Promoting agricultural markets and reducing trade barriers
• Improving incentives to invest in technology and rural infrastructure
• Encouraging common-sense conservation and food safety measures
• Securing America's borders and implementing a fair and practical immigration policy
• Recognizing the role of agriculture in national security
• Strengthen America's economic competitiveness by eliminating wasteful government spending

The benefits of American leadership in agriculture extend well beyond our borders -- America's contribution to meeting the food, fiber, feed and energy needs of a growing world population through efficient production and technology innovation are critical to our national security.

More details on John McCain's statement on "Prosperity for Rural America" can be found on the McCain-Palin 2008 web site at rural.JohnMcCain.com.

MCCAIN-PALIN 2008 FARM & RANCH TEAM NATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE*

Co-Chairs

Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture John Block, Illinois

U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, Kansas

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, Georgia

U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte, Virginia

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, Iowa

Fourth Generation Missouri Farmer Charlie Kruse

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture James Moseley, Indiana

U.S. Representative Adam Putnam, Florida

Steering Committee Members

North Dakota Farm Bureau Eric Aasmundstad

Former Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture and State Senator Don Ament

Louisiana Farm Bureau President Ronnie Anderson

Washington Farm Bureau President Steve Appel

Armstrong Farms Owner Jay Armstrong, Kansas

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt

U.S. Representative Roy Blunt, Missouri

U.S. Senator Kit Bond, Missouri

Kansas Farm Bureau President Steve Baccus

Georgia Agribusiness Council President Gary Black

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson

Dairy Farmer Bill Bruins, Wisconsin

Kansas Livestock Association President Tracy Brunner

Oregon Farm Bureau President Barry Bushue

U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, Mississippi

U.S. Sugar Corp. Senior VP Robert Coker, Florida

Nevada Farm Bureau President James "Hank" Combs

U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Idaho

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels

Penns ylvania Farmer Keith Eckel

U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson, Missouri

Michigan State Representative Judy Emmons

U.S. Senator, John Ensign, Nevada

Florida Crystals Corp. Executive VP Pepe Fanjul, Jr.

U.S. Representative Jeff Flake, Arizona

Colorado Farm Bureau President Alan Foutz

U.S. Representative Virginia Foxx, North Carolina

U.S. Representative Sam Graves, Missouri

Harris Farms Chairman and CEO John C. Harris, California

Former Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Jim Harsdorf

Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman

Former Delta Pine President & CEO W. Thomas Jagodinski, Tennessee

Former National Cattleman's Beef Association President Mike John, Missouri

U.S. Representative Tim Johnson, Illinois

Pacific Ethanol Chairman William L. Jones, California

Orange County Produce Founding Partner A.G. Kawamura, California

Iowa Farmer Lindsey Larson

Lasseter Tractor Company CEO Willard Lasseter, Georgia

U.S. Repres entative Tom Latham, Iowa

U.S. Representative Bob Latta, Ohio

Lynch Livestock President and CEO Gary Lynch

Former National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Jan Lyons, Kansas

New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Patrick H. Lyons

Former New Hampshire Farm Bureau President Wayne Mann

California Farm Bureau President Doug Mosebar

U.S. Representative Marilyn Musgrave, Colorado

Western Growers Association President and CEO Thomas Nassif

Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap

U.S. Representative Joe Pitts, Pennsylvania

National Steering Committee Co-Chair William Richards, Ohio

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, Kansas

Arizona Farm Bureau Federation President Kevin Rogers

U.S. Representative Paul Ryan, Wisconsin

U.S. Representative Adrian Smith, Nebraska

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture Todd Staples

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler

South Dakota Farm Bureau President Scott VanderWal

CropLi fe America President and CEO Jay Vroom

Former Pennsylvania State Senator Noah Wegner

New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau President Michael White

Indiana Farmer Mike Yoder

*Members of the McCain-Palin Farm & Ranch National Steering Committee are endorsing as private citizens and are not acting in an official capacity for their respective organizations.