I will have to admit this one took my breath away. Having covered both of these guys during their political careers and interviewed them, I find this really hard to believe. Pending a retraction from them I will have to assume that they, along with much of the world, have gone nuts.
Did HSUS pull the wool over Dole’s and Kerrey’s eyes?
During the first week of June, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) proudly announced via President and CEO Wayne Pacelle’s blog that former Senators Bob Dole and Bob Kerrey had agreed to serve as “special advisors” to HSUS.
It’s truly surprising to see two gentlemen from such livestock-heavy states as Nebraska and Kansas choose to align with HSUS. Did Dole and Kerrey forget how important animal agriculture is to the economy of their states and their former constituents? Cattle, hogs, dairy products and eggs all rank among the top ten leading commodities in Nebraska, and Kansas is part of the Animal Health Corridor, home to the single largest concentration of animal health interests in the world.
HSUS is certainly no ally to Kansas’ and Nebraska’s many farm families. While HSUS attempts to brand itself with a professional, credible front – through tactics like this partnership with well-known, tenured political figures – its true objective of eliminating animal agriculture is clear. When they don’t think the press or the public is listening, HSUS leaders make statements such as “Nothing is more important than promoting veganism.”
Notably, both Dole and Kerrey have been quiet on the announcement. Neither senator has issued a statement, been quoted in the press or released content on social media about their new roles. In fact, it took us multiple calls over several days to confirm the announcement with their staff.
So the question arises – did Dole and Kerrey enthusiastically agree to champion HSUS’ cause? Or is this just an attempt by HSUS to profit from their name recognition? In Dole’s case, the alliance could help HSUS build bridges with Republican legislators. With 80 percent of its political spending going to left-leaning causes and Democrats, some free publicity on the other side of the aisle certainly couldn’t hurt.
If the former senators were truly passionate about the cause, one would think they’d have some remarks to offer about the announcement, or would be promoting it themselves.
Time will tell how active Dole and Kerrey choose to be in their “special advisor” roles. Perhaps they could use the new position to show HSUS how important animal agriculture is to our country and convince them to stop bullying our farm families.