Watch the Farm Bill now on CSPAN or at:http://www.cspan.org/watch/cs_cspan_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS

The Democratic Leadership seems to have made enough deals and bought off enough interests to think they have the votes to pass this bill; nobody thought this was possible as late as yesterday. As Chairman Peterson is saying as I type, “There’s something in this bill for everyone to like. There’s probably also something in this bill for everyone not to like.” Although we haven’t seen the reform needed to create a better food system, we have seen the advancement of good proposals pushed by many disparate groups: mandatory Country of Origin Labeling, needed changes to food stamps (though not for immigrants), Pigford claims redress, new money for organics and obesity research and many others; but no reform for our corn, soy, cotton, peanut and sugar addictions.

As a newbie to the Capitol Hill bubble, I sort of feel like this moment is like the High Holidays of farm policy… Peterson put on his good pin-striped suit, everyone’s gathered round (ok, so only a few rows are full), they’ll be stuck in a room together for hours….

If so, then who’s G-d? Nancy Pelosi? If it actually passes, maybe we’ll find out if the Senate gets a bill to their chamber in September… around the time of Yom Kippur, if they ever hope to make it out of conference by the end of FY ‘07.

And then there’s always the veto threat…