Meanwhile the Chicago Tribune reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been doing some lobbying of its own — of the American public. So far this year, the department has produced three dozen video and radio news segments promoting the signing of CAFTA — the Central American Free Trade Agreement. In one radio segment, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns says “I can’t imagine how any senator or House member from ag country could stand up and vote against CAFTA. It makes no sense to me. It’s voting against our producers.” The segments are designed to look and sound like actual news stories and have been given to over 600 radio and tv stations in rural areas to air during news shows. Senators Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, and Sen. Mary Landrieu, of Louisiana have criticized the video news releases saying “We are concerned that many listeners in rural America may believe these releases are objective news reports, rather than political statements from the USDA which are intended to advance a specific trade agenda.” The USDA has defended the segments because they include taglines at the end identifying the agency as the source.