Photo by Tom Campbell |
Uncomfortable behind a podium, Moseley discussed
the terrorist attacks when he visited the Farm Progress Show
on Sept. 26, just a few miles from his Clarks Hill home.
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No. 1 job is 'save the wagon'
He will address his pet projects in due time. But first
things first.
"My responsibility, and I really feel strongly about
this, is to stay here and make sure the wheels don't fall off the wagon."
For sure, the USDA is a very big, very complex wagon.
With 108,000 employees and 191 million acres of land, the USDA administers
$70 billion a year going to support programs worldwide. Programs that
impact, as Moseley says, "anybody who eats."
It's a job Moseley admits was a little overwhelming,
at first, but he keeps perspective by measuring the little victories.
"There's no doubt the best part of the job is working
with people who really care about getting something done, whether it's
inside the department or outside," Moseley says.
"It doesn't make any difference if it is on the
farm or here in Washington, it is enjoyable to see people who want to
do something, understand what they want, bring their resources to the
table and then get into action. To see that is very satisfying to me."
But he has seen the dark side of politics, too.
"I don't get up in the morning and think about what
I'm not going to get done that day. So my expectation is, by the end
of the day, you have to produce something. And that means you have to
be willing to roll up your sleeves and see the plan and the purpose
and accomplish it. People that are not willing to do that and want to
throw wrenches into the works don't rate very high on my list of favorite
things."
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