Petty meanness rules!
Here we are; it's Day 2 of the federal shutdown. Not only that, but just up the road a piece, we'll be bumping our collective heads on the debt ceiling. Apparently we've succeeded in electing a bunch of heartless, mean-spirited human beings who've made their sentiments abundantly clear: They don't give a damn about folks who are struggling to survive.
Maybe enough voters will come to their senses in 2014 and send some of these monsters home. Here's one sample of pure meanness: Tennessee Congressman Steven Fincher (R - 8th). He was among the majority of House Republicans to vote for deep cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food stamps to needy households. Over 40% of SNAP households include at least one wage-earner. Seniors and folks on disability account for most of the balance.
Yet Mr. Fincher insists on citing the following biblical passage: "Those unwilling to work shall not eat". He went on to say that caring for the poor is "something Christians might do, but not with government money". (Charities do great work, but have never been able to help more than a fraction of those in need, especially in stressful times).
This congressman, who along with his family operates a prosperous 2,500-acre farm (about 4 square miles), has no qualms about suckling the government titty himself. His business has benefitted from well over $3 million in federal farm subsidies over the past decade, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Tennessee's Eighth District, which covers the westernmost tier of counties above Memphis, has a long, bearded tradition of electing socially conservative Democrats. I would like to believe that local Democrats could field a worthy opponent for Mr. Fincher in 2014: someone with a much more humane interpretation of the Bible; a candidate who'd appeal to everyone's better nature. Most voters in that district do not share the Fincher Family's good fortune, and probably know folks who are struggling --- and may even be on food stamps.
Not to be forgotten is Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan (R - 1st), the Ayn Rand acolyte and self-anointed budget maven whom Mitt Romney chose as his running mate. According to Mr. Ryan, SNAP is "a hammock that lolls able-bodied people into lives of dependency and complacency".
Many seemingly moderate Republicans are decrying the shutdown and fear for their own political futures. Understood. Yet they continue to support measures that shred the social safety net, such as the food stamp cuts.
The Dems need to retrieve 17 seats next year in order to re-establish a House majority. If the Tea Party nutcakes continue to hog the limelight, maybe just maybe it could happen!
Good job, dude!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you take on some of the more virulent hypocrites here. How is it that these politicians are so self-righteous without a logical leg to stand on?
Even if going to default DOES return 18 or so House seats to Democrats, that's too much pain for political gain. I hope they do the right thing by next Monday, October 14th, an important marker before the October 17th more-published date.