DES MOINES, Iowa — President-elect Barack Obama has selected former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary, according to Democratic sources familiar with the selection process.
Obama will announce the appointment of Vilsack today, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the selection before the announcement.
Vilsack, 56, will be the fourth former opponent of Obama in the 2008 Democratic primaries to join his new administration. Others include Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has been tapped for secretary of state, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, selected to head the Commerce Department.
Vilsack positioned himself in the presidential campaign as a Washington outsider with heartland appeal, but he dropped out after poor showings in early primaries. He endorsed Clinton and campaigned for her in the long primary campaign against Obama. After Obama defeated Clinton, Vilsack endorsed him. The Associated Press
