Canvassers for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign received a shot in the arm this afternoon in Cedar Falls when Henry Scott Wallace, grandson of former Vice President Henry A. Wallace, dropped by the campaign office to “channel” his grandfather’s spirit into the current political discussion.

“I think I heard my grandfather telling me to come here,” Wallace said. “After the financial crisis erupted, I did some research to see what my grandfather would think about what is going on with the economy. He lived through the last economic crisis … and I thought he would have some things to say that would help me talk to Iowans today.”

Henry Scott Wallace, grandson to former Vice President Henry A. Wallace, spoke with volunteers at the Cedar Falls Obama headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

Henry Scott Wallace, grandson to former Vice President Henry A. Wallace, spoke with volunteers at the Cedar Falls Obama headquarters on Sunday afternoon.

Wallace said he had been pouring through his grandfather’s papers for advice, realizing that his grandfather worked with farmers during the Great Depression, but had no idea about some of the challenges we face today.

“I don’t think there is anyone would be more excited about Barack Obama than Henry A. Wallace,” the grandson proudly announced. “I think my grandfather would be incredulous that our country has forgotten the lessons of the Great Depression — lessons that huge corporations, left to their own devices without any government oversight will exhalt their bottom line. That’s their job, to provide for shareholders.”

The past eight years, which has been full of deregulation, has left the country “reaping what it has sown,” according to Wallace.

“McCain has been quoted as saying that he is always in favor of less regulation,” Wallace charged. “Government should be on the side of people and not asleep and letting big business do what it wants.”

Eight-year-old Nathaniel Harwood was in the Cedar Falls headquarters more than an hour before Wallace was scheduled to arrive. He spent his time building canvass packets for the afternoon walking teams.

Eight-year-old Nathaniel Harwood was in the Cedar Falls headquarters more than an hour before Wallace was scheduled to arrive. He spent his time building canvass packets for the afternoon walking teams.

Another issue that would excite his grandfather, Wallace said, where the differences between McCain and Obama on the issue of renewable energy.

“Obama has voted for renewable energy, and research on wind, ethanol and other renewable fuels,” Wallace said. “At every available opportunity, McCain has voted against. Investing in a renewable energy economy is something I think my grandfather would see as a way to lift the entire economy out of the current economic crisis. Obama gets it. He gets the struggles and economic challenges facing Iowans today while McCain is all over the map. I’m afraid [McCain] doesn’t understand where this country needs to go on agriculture and the economy.”

Wallace said in addition to understanding how his grandfather would view the current economic crisis, that he feels this is “the most important election of his lifetime.”