Senior Obama Administration officials will travel the country this summer, to rural venues, discussing major domestic policy issues. The President's statement announcing the tour: “A healthy American economy depends on a prosperous rural America. Rural America is vast and diverse, and different communities face different challenges and opportunities. That’s why we’re going out to hear directly from the people of rural America about their needs and concerns and what my Administration can do to support them."

Included in the tour is an event in Virginia's Fifth CD. On Saturday, July 18 Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Ringgold, Va. (20 minutes or so east of Danville), to discuss green jobs and a new energy economy, with a focus on weatherization and carbon sequestration.

The various events are scheduled for states that are of electoral importance to Obama, and this venue in Virginia is no doubt at least partly chosen to thank Tom Perriello for his highly controversial vote for the administration's energy bill.

(Dave Sagarin, July 3, 2009)

Full schedule as given by the White House:

JULY 3RD
Vice President Joe Biden, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack travel to Wattsburg, Pa. (near Erie) to discuss rural broadband.

JULY 16TH
Transportation Ray LaHood and Vilsack scheduled to travel to La Crosse, Wis. to discuss rural economic development.

JULY 18TH
Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Vilsack scheduled to travel to Ringgold, Va. to discuss green jobs and a new energy economy, with a focus on weatherization and carbon sequestration.

JULY 20TH
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Vilsack are scheduled to travel to St. John’s Parish, La. to discuss rural healthcare.

AUGUST 12TH
Chu, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Bethel, Alaska to discuss rural infrastructure, green jobs and a new energy economy and climate change.

AUGUST 16TH
Salazar and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Zanesville, Ohio to discuss green jobs and a new energy economy, with a focus on renewable energies.

AUGUST 17TH
Duncan and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Hamlet, N.C. to discuss rural education.

SEPTEMBER 28TH
Salazar and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Scottsbluff, Neb. to discuss production agriculture.

SEPTEMBER 30TH
Donovan and Vilsack are scheduled to visit Las Cruces, N.M. to discuss rural infrastructure.