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Newspaper guesses Nebraska governor could lead USDALINCOLN, Neb. (AP)--If this bit of political speculation pans out, the Nebraska governor's office could be considered the official training ground for U.S. agriculture secretaries. First Mike Johanns became ag secretary in 2005 in the midst of his second term as Nebraska governor. Could Gov. Dave Heineman follow suit? It's all speculation, but one newspaper says Heineman might become agriculture secretary should fellow Republican John McCain be elected president. In its Sept. 2 edition, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill lists Heineman as a possible agriculture secretary pick if McCain were to take the "conventional route" and tap an ag-state governor. The newspaper, Roll Call, lists Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, a Republican, as another conventional pick. Both appear in the Roll Call article as speculative choices named by the newspaper, not sources familiar with the plans of either McCain or Heineman. Asked to respond to the talk, Heineman spokeswoman Jen Rae Hein said in an e-mail: "The speculation is understandable given that we are an ag state, however, the governor's sole focus continues to be on governing our state." Agricultural state governors aren't the only names on the Roll Call list. The newspaper says McCain might prefer to choose someone with experience in reforming agricultural policy, like U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI. Johanns' tenure as agriculture secretary ended about a year ago, when the Republican stepped down to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Chuck Hagel. When he resigned as governor to begin his tenure as ag secretary, Heineman--then the state's lieutenant governor under Johanns--was promoted into the governor's chair. Mark Quandahl, chairman of the state Republican Party, said he hadn't heard talk of Heineman being a pick for ag secretary, adding that "I'm not sure that's a position he would seek at this time. "But never say never. Lightning has struck before." 9/22/08 Date: 9/12/08
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