<p></p><p>Senate Democrats launched a "rural outreach" effort Wednesday afternoon. And, yes, it comes with a <a href="http://democrats.senate.gov/rural/agenda.cfm">website</a>, which is here (logo above). &nbsp;There are photos of each Democratic senator and links to news releases. Organizers intend to beef up the site with profiles of rural businesses and people.</p><p>Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas held a press conference (by phone), saying her colleagues realized that there had been an explosion of <a href="/job-losses-explode-rural-america/2009/02/25/1953">job losses in rural America</a> in December. She talked through a list of issues &mdash; funding economic development programs; promoting renewable energy projects; finding ways to attract teachers to rural schools &mdash; that are on the senators' rural agenda.&nbsp;</p><p>Lincoln was asked about a national rural forum that would be convened by the President. (Obama promised a rural forum as a candidate but has since backed away from his promise, according to <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101437145 ">National Public Radio</a>.) "I hope so," Lincoln said of the prospect for a presidential rural forum. "I think he (Obama) has great outreach to rural America...From our standpoint, we're going to encourage the President to work toward that end."</p><p>&nbsp;</p>