Sec. Vilsack on President Obama's plan to spur economic growth

President Obama embarked on a 3-day "listening tour" yesterday aimed at talking about job growth and the effects of national economic policy with the American public. He is hitting the Midwestern states of Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois and putting a focus on the rural community.

Along with members of the White House Rural Council, Obama will spend much of his day today at a rural economic forum in Peosta, Iowa. The forum will bring together farmers, small business owners, rural organizations and others to "discuss ideas and initiatives to promote economic growth, accelerate hiring, and spur innovation in rural communities and small towns across the nation," the White House said.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa, joins Christine Romans on American Morning today to weigh in on what innovative solutions the White House has for restoring jobs in the Midwest and to respond to critics who are claiming that the tour is nothing more than a tax-funded campaign event.