The opposition is at it in Iowa seeking to attack Romney through use of some 1994 statements about farm subsidies. Romney said back then "I also believe we're going to have agriculture subsidies reduced". Unfortunately, the context of that statement is a little lost on me. Either way, it is totally insignificant to our current situation as a country. In 1994, little was known about the potential for America's farmland to play a significant role in freeing our country from reliance on foreign oil. Because of that potential, our national security requires a different approach now. Romney has promised to lead an energy revolution in our country. As the article explains:

"Romney's Iowa campaign spokesman Tim Albrecht insisted an archival video does not diminish the former governor's strong support for agriculture."

"'Gov. Romney believes that investing in agriculture is key to our economy and families,' Albrecht said. 'America's farmers not only provide food for the dinner table, but they will play a critical role in lessening our reliance on foreign sources of oil.'"

Iowa's farmland is clearly a part of Romney's goals:

"We must become independent from foreign sources of oil. This will mean a combination of efforts related to conservation and efficiency measures, developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)."

Don't get me wrong, there are probably many inefficiencies in the way subsidies are managed and there are probably other programs that will be needed to encourage the type of farming required for our national needs. But I think it is clear that the situation has changed such from 1994 that maintaining and expanding America's ability to produce crop that will lead to efficient production of the highest quality biofuels is a high priority and we can expect subsidies to play an important role in any strategy to continue to encourage production.