Rural Americans want leaders who help middle-class communities to plan and prosper over the long-term - not opportunists who reap the rewards for themselves, leaving nothing for the people who do the sowing.

And sometimes people don't realize that 90 percent of the persistent poverty counties are located in rural America.

I wish I could give you all the examples over the last two years as secretary of agriculture, where I hear people in rural America constantly being criticized, without any expression of appreciation for what they do do.

The American people want to have trust in their leaders.

I think the football coaches for Iowa and Iowa State would tell you they are some of the luckiest people in the world to have the job they have, ... Win, lose or draw, I'm sure they believe it's a great life. And that's how I feel about my job.

There is more potential for economic growth in rural America than at any time in decades.