TAMA -- The bickering, political in-fighting and favoritism that characterizes Washington these days affects the entire nation, but all too often it hits rural Americans harder, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., said Friday during a summit on rural issues at the South Tama High School.

Obama, who also is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said the policies that originally were aimed at helping rural areas of the country have been usurped by "special interests" that only benefit a few. That has lead to the slow bleed felt in schools, farms and on main streets everywhere.

"I believe it's time to turn the page the page on politics that's turned its back on rural America," Obama said.

Part of that effort was Friday's summit, which gathered more than 100 experts in rural policy, including university professors, lawmakers and farmers, from around the Midwest to discuss the most pressing issues on rural America. Topics ranged from quality of life and energy issues to general agriculture policy. Obama said the event was the beginning of an ongoing dialogue on policy issues.

"This is hello, not goodbye," he said.

It was also an opportunity for Obama to tout is credentials as a former state senator from nearby Illinois, which he said gave him a keen insight into the problems plaguing the area.

"I've fought the battles for rural America," Obama said. "I've done it in the statehouse, I've done it in the U.S. Capitol and I intend to do it in the White House."

Among the proposals he included in a brief stump speech were a plan to cap farm payments to $250,000 annually. This comes on the heels of calls to overhaul the entire U.S. farm subsidy system, which critics say benefits primarily large farm corporations or leads to government waste.

Obama said more than $1.3 billion went to people who didn't even farm. Meanwhile, he said small farms are being forced out of business.

Many participants in the summit were invited by the Obama campaign personally. Tom Wind, a wind energy consultant from Jefferson, said the focus on rural issues was a nice change of pace.

"Even though you don't hear a lot about it, there are a lot of states that are rural," Wind said, adding those states can also determine the outcome of a future election.

Wind said he was also pleased with the format. In some instances, the discussion even made it into Obama's speeches later on.

"He came in and listened to us instead of talking to us," Susan Wind said.

Gregg Heide, a Calhoun County farmer working on a farmer-owned wind farm who participated in the summit, said he was also happy to see that a wide variety of people were included in the groups, instead of a set of policy advisers or talking heads.

Obama headed to Charles City Friday evening to speak at the grand opening celebration of the VeraSun ethanol plant in Charles City. Obama will be in Waverly at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Waverly Light and Power headquarters to discuss energy security.

Contact Josh Nelson at (319) 291-1565 or josh.nelson@wcfcourier.com.