Leadership Quote by Mike Johanns

A phrase like "I meet with people in the industry on an ongoing basis" is Washington-speak at its most functional: it signals access without admitting dependence, and influence without naming who holds it. Mike Johanns, a politician who’s moved through the overlapping worlds of agriculture policy and federal power, chooses a sentence engineered to survive scrutiny. It’s bland by design. The more generic the “people,” the safer the relationship.

The specific intent is reassurance and credentialing. To constituents and colleagues, he’s telegraphing competence: he’s plugged in, informed, doing the homework. To industry, he’s offering a quiet confirmation that their calls get returned. It’s a two-way dog whistle, audible to anyone who understands how policy gets made: meetings are the currency.

The subtext is the careful normalization of proximity. “On an ongoing basis” turns what could be controversial - frequent contact with regulated interests - into routine maintenance, like checking the weather. It’s also a preemptive defense against the word everyone is thinking but no one wants to say: “lobbyists.” By not naming lobbyists, donors, or specific sectors, the line drains the situation of friction and makes influence sound like information gathering.

Contextually, this kind of phrasing often surfaces when an official is asked about conflicts of interest, regulatory decisions, or whose voices are shaping a bill. It’s a statement that’s meant to close a question down while sounding transparent. The genius, if you can call it that, is how it makes access feel like governance rather than power.