Rural agenda in State of the Union: Farm exports, education; what about a spending freeze?

President Obama made a very early reference to rural America in tonight's State of the Union address, saying "Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard" in the recession. That was a nice tee-up, but the ball never reached the green. Rural references afterward were scant. (Associated Press photo: Obama arrives in House chamber)

Obama's main proposal with a rural face was declaration of a new goal of doubling U.S. exports over the next five years, which he said would "support two million jobs." To achieve the goal, he said he is "launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security."

However, some rural interests are probably talking more about Obama's call for a three-year freeze in discretionary spending. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) told Chuck Haga of the Grand Forks Herald that would not include agriculture commodity programs because they are not discretionary but "mandatory spending, driven by a formula, not by appropriation," but he said a freeze would probably affect conservation programs and, Haga writes, "possibly nutrition, rural development and other areas." (Read more)

Obama's other specific rural reference came when he called for education "reform that raises student achievement, inspires students to excel in math and science, and turns around failing schools that steal the future of too many young Americans, from rural communities to inner cities." For the prepared text, which Obama occasionally tempered, click here. UPDATE, Jan. 28: For a FactCheck.org analysis of the speech and the Republican response, click here.