By Denise Ross

On his conference call Wednesday morning, Sen. John Thune, R-SD, gave his Democratic colleagues no benefit of the doubt when it comes to forming a Farm Bill conference committee.

We should be talking about how to get this done and how to get it done now.

Thune told reporters that “squabbling” between Democratic leaders of the House and Senate is causing an unnecessary delay in an already delayed “2007″ Farm Bill. In the 6 weeks since the Senate passed its version of the bill, Thune said that the chairmen of the respective House and Senate agriculture committees (both Dems) have been negotiating, and House leaders have been negotiating directly with the White House. That will only serve to delay passage of a new farm bill, he said.

They need to announce and name conferees and do it immediately.

Thune called the current state of things “inexcusable” and raised the spectre that March 15 - the date on which the extension of the 2002 farm bill expires - could arrive, at which time federal farm law would revert to it’s 1949 state, which includes decent enough subsidies but no conservation or energy programs.

He didn’t let the White House entirely off the hook, though. While he didn’t mention President Bush’s stern veto threat, he did deliver the mildest scold.

The White House has to be willing to help us find common ground. They can’t just dig in and say, ‘My way or the highway.’

Here’s audio of Thune’s lead-off statements from the 30-minute call. More posts about the call and audio of Thune’s Q&A with reporters coming soon.

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