This is deliberate. The GOP will deign to allow a pitiful few teachers to keep their jobs, but in return the students must go hungry so they will have trouble concentrating in school. Someone remind me again why we have a majority in the Senate. Because it sure as hell isn’t to ram through legislation that benefits the public, especially when there was a sixty-seat majority.

Eat the rich.

Pit the ‘greedy’ teachers and poor kids against each other and throw
buckets of money at the endless wars. This country is sick.

So how many children will have to go hungry because of a couple Republicans in the Senate?

However many the answer is, it is too many.

The country can not afford all the spending you people want to do.

And the defense budget?

The tinman has no heart.

Fine.
Let’s close all the military bases overseas.
Leave Irak and Afghanistan
Cut all the DoD contractors performing tasks formerly done by GIs
End tax breaks to companies that off shore jobs
End tax breaks for companies that incorporate in tax havens like the Caymans and Lichtenstein

This is what Obama’s admin tried to get Obey on board with when they first proposed the “race to the bottom”. Obey said hell no. What happened? Obama admin said food prices didn’t go up as much as anticipated and recipients were getting a good deal. Can’t have that.

Isn’t this the greatest country ever?I am going right out and buy me some more flags.

Blame the GOP? Yes! But more so blame all the ‘elite’ politicians on all sides whose mantra is and will remain: “i got mine, and screw the little people”. Our bitchin about it unfortunately is not going to change their sickness one bit! They need a powerful and potent ‘wake up’ call and it seems to me that is not even remotely on the horizon!

These asses send our children to fight ‘their’ wars while they kill the occupied country’s children, they make sure our education system is well behind the rest of the world, and they could care less about parents who are struggling to protect their children…so gutting food stamps and starving the children is a ‘walk in the park’ for these degenerates!

As far as Republicans are concerned, there are NEVER enough hungry children.

If we cut all the wingnut bullshit from the budget – like endless tax breaks for the rich and corporations – we sure as [edited by mod] can, [edited by mod].

Aren’t we fighting a war on hunger? Don’t we fight any and all wars without any restraint whatsoever?

If children were well taken care of, parents would be less desperate to take any job they can get for any pay, under any conditions, and that would be bad for business. So what’s bad for children is good for business.

Somewhere, right this moment, an american child is starving and crying out…but when you are heartless and cold, your ability to hear is diminished, and rational thought is absent…

…peddling any diatribe about ‘spending’ issues like ‘we can’t afford to feed the children’ is not only BS, but immoral!

Would you be saying that if it was you who couldn’t feed your children? If your job was one that was going to be cut otherwise? Somehow I don’t think so. Sociopath, thy name is conservative.

Don’t we fight any and all wars without any restraint whatsoever?

Only wars that involve killing, preferably brown people.

Tinman…

like in the movie…’You need a heart!’

What tinman needs more is a healthy dose of the reality of poverty and chronic joblessness.

The Afghan supplemental was not paid for, but cons voted for it. They don’t care about the deficit, they just want (other) people to suffer.

So how many children will have to go hungry because of a couple Republicans in the Senate?

As many as it takes.

Note: I posted this comment earlier today to alan1tx but it’s just as appropriate here:

Maybe you’d be less scornful if one of those jobs being saved was yours! It gets really old listening to people with a steady paycheck whining about how much money is being spent on a sluggish economy that was created by the wealthiest people, (who BTW, also aren’t worried about paying their bills this month). I think every conservative minded person is a little bit of a sociopath. If all you can do is whine about money being spent on people rather than endless wars, why don’t you go somewhere that you’ll be more appreciated? Just sayin’.

No? Then how about we prioritize and pay for hungry children and their teachers first.

Hungry children don’t learn well to begin with, and too few teachers means even less learning.

Why are you blaming the GOP? Aren’t the Dems passing this bill?

This guy doesn’t sound too sympathetic.

Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank, says the study design and survey data are solid. But he says the findings are neither surprising nor troubling.

“That’s effectively like saying that at some point in a 20-year period, a parent would be unemployed for a month or so,” Rector says.

“There’s no evidence that even consistent poverty in the U.S. produces a nutritional risk,” he says, noting that rich and poor children tend to have about the same intake of protein, vitamins and minerals.

am I wrong to point out yet again, the Congressional Dems refused to pass a Budget, you know, the thing with a Budget Resolution that contains Resolution Instructions ?

The kind of money your suggestions could wring out would put us in Fat City by around 5PM, EDT, give or take a few hours.

What? Tinman has no critique? No “let ‘em eat ketchup” type thing?

Let the kids starve to death and then you don’t need teachers. I’m sure Pete Peterson and the Cat Food Commission would approve.

I blame the bastard in the WH and his cadre of corporatists. He and his group are despicable.

Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank,

Gee, I can’t imagine why a spokes dweeb for Heritage Foundation is downplaying a report of this fashion.

…you people…

What is this, a wingnut mating call? Sorry, tinny, we’re just not that into you.

Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank

Hmph! Somebody’s being awfully generous in describing the Heritage Foundation…

What an excellent question.

Let’s ask another: does a real Democrat take food out of the mouths of hungry children — EVER?

And another: Does a real Democrat ever think that balancing children’s hunger and teachers’ jobs during a deep economic downturn is ever acceptable?

Agreed…and more!

my kingdom for a real lunchpail Dem ’bout now

It is one thing to be a troll,
but cheering children going hungry is evil and sickening.

The savings come from rolling back a benefit increase approved in the giant economic recovery act last year

Have you checked commodities prices lately?

Have you checked to see how many kids in this country are relying on federal hot lunch program at school? What do you think they do for breakfast or dinner?

I’m beginning to believe Obama is the second coming of Ronald Reagan. He’s not above throwing anyone under the bus.

Just for the record, Tinman frequently drops by to stir the mix with a twisted stick, and most often makes a hasty departure…cowardly me thinks!

I live in Virginia and we seem to have a better handle on our budget than some other states.

Therefore, another way to look at this problem for the states that need help with Medicaid and paying their teachers is that every other expenditure they are currently paying out is more important than the teachers and Medicare.

In other words, why should Virginians, who have not been so profligate, pay the costs of those states that have been willing to spend money on other things and ignore the teachers and medicaid recipients?

I’ll admit that rolling back a benefit increase that won’t happen for 4 years sounds less dramatic than “Taking Food Out of Kids’ Mouths”.

But it’s more accurate in this case.

Well with all due respect, Virginia and her tax revenues are helped mightily by the northern VA proximity to the Beltway and all the corresponding contractors there.

But does that wonderful budget of Virginia’s extend to the areas in the far western part of the state?

Virgina takes in about 1.5 federal tax dollars for every dollar paid, so [Edited by Moderator. Disagree without insulting other commenters]

http://www.visualeconomics.com/united-states-federal-tax-dollars/

It is true that NoVA receives benefits from the nearby federal activities, as well as money generated in tidewater from the Navy, but Virginia has also specifically taken actions to attract employers. Evidence of that is the growth of businesses here in VA compared to Maryland and the District itself.

SW Virginia does need support, but it is a beneficiary of a funding mechanism where the state subsidizes education costs based on the relative wealth of the county – the composite index.

The thrust of my post is that some states spend more and this legislation asks the more frugal states to subsidize the less frugal ones.

I see we have alrady moved to another thread above, but I have a question that I hope someone can answer on this appropriate thread.
Were the Republicans successful in getting the “privileged resolution” passed today that would give them a two-month vacation during the “lame duck” period after the elections this year?

Tinman’s teabag makes a weak brew…no staying power.

Except the reality is, most states have requirements to balance their budgets. Being more frugal has nothing to do with it when the states have been catering to the crowds calling for “TABOR” laws or requiring 2/3s majority to raise taxes.

Combine these situations with economic downturns and even the most frugal of states need help.

I’ll admit that rolling back a benefit increase that won’t happen for 4 years sounds less dramatic than “Taking Food Out of Kids’ Mouths”.

Yeah, keep it light on specifics. Obama can give a nice speech about it in 4 years, in front of a rainbow coalition of kids. Maybe throw in a blackwaterdog photo diary on DKos showing Obama taking his kids to Abercrombie and Fitch.

Despicable.

So how many children will have to go hungry because of a couple Republicans in the Senate?

Probably, millions!

IMO, the views that many here at FDL (and in this particular thread) have of Conservatives are ignorant, uninformed and generally ridiculous. I don’t often throw around insults, but seriously… the comments about Conservatives in this thread are absurd – and this is from someone who isn’t Conservative!

First, Conservatives (much like anyone else) care deeply about people who become disadvantaged through no fault of their own. A partial list would include: children, the elderly, victims of crime, and the handicapped. I know many Conservatives and I’ve personally witnessed them spend considerable time and money helping people with no reasonable expectation of ever being paid back (or even thanked). They are, however, much less concerned about adults whose problems are of their own making and are not working to improve their situation. Conservatives will debate about the degree to which a particular person is responsible for their particular situation and whether they are deserving of help.

Second, regardless of how Conservatives feel about helping a particular person, they don’t necessarily see it as the role of government – which they fear is already too big and influential on their daily lives. Their position is that charity work should be handled by charities (to which many volunteer) – not by corporations or the government.

If you want to disagree with the Conservatives’ view of the role of government, that’s fine… that’s the sort of thing that political discourse is for. But there seems to be a real sickness at FDL where people ascribe monstrous intentions to essentially average (good) people who happen to differ about the best way to achieve goals.

Not only that… but what do they do during the summer? Lose weight?

But when charities and food pantries are looking at empty shelves; when teacher jobs and food stamps are being cut and the so-called conservatives in Congress demonize and claim the jobless are jobless because they’re lazy do nothing bums, even when there are five or more applicants for EVERY job these days; when the jobless are demonized while so-called conservatives call for extending tax cuts even when those tax cuts led to the smallest job creation cycles in the history of the country, what else are we to believe other than the so-called conservatives ARE heartless and willing to see children starve or do without education in order to pay for the rich to siphon off more money into their already bloated bank accounts?

No heart perhaps, but the tinman does have a brain. A brain that understands money much better than any of you people.
And of course we cut defense spending as well. We cut waste…most of which is in the welfare programs. Oh, and you might do something about fraud too while you’re at it. About 50% of welfare is fraudulent.

You’re stooping pretty low.

I’m not into you either….that’s why you people are…”you people.” I don’t want to be confused with….”you people.”
But at least we’re friends.

Btw, it was the Obama administrations idea to cut food stamps, to protect their Race to the top charter school sellout. Sorry, no sale, Blue Texan.

“We were told we have to offset every damn dime of [new teacher spending]. Well, it ain’t easy to find offsets, and with all due respect to the administration their first suggestion for offsets was to cut food stamps. Now they were careful not to make an official budget request, because they didn’t want to take the political heat for it, but that was the first trial balloon they sent down here. … Their line of argument was, well, the cost of food relative to what we thought it would be has come down, so people on food stamps are getting a pretty good deal in comparison to what we thought they were going to get. Well isn’t that nice. Some poor bastard is going to get a break for a change.”

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/07/17/americas-dilemma-teachers-or-food/

…most of which is in the welfare programs….

bwahahahaha! You make funnee!

Of course, I think I know from where you pulled that fifty per cent figure. I’m sure you don’t have a link for it though since it mostly likely came from the area next to your head.

And as someone who has worked for the War Machine in the past I can most readily assure you that there is far more waste in the $600B defense budget than there is in all the welfare programs.

I don’t buy your characterization of conservatives, it’s a happy furry puppy time story. I dislike them, mostly for their dishonesty, from personal experience. They are also entirely responsible for Bush, AND the current economy. Obama isn’t much either.

You’re stooping pretty low.

How so?

We (the richest country in the world) are allowing children to go hungry, so that we do not add a trivial amount to our deficit. Meanwhile billionaires, who have more more then they can ever spend, get a tax break adding trillions to the deficit.

This is what “you people” support.
How is this not evil?

Conservatives will debate about the degree to which a particular person is responsible for their particular situation and whether they are deserving of help.

Great, so when you lose your job and can’t feed your kid, just appeal to your local charity. A circle of finger-wagging douchebag right wingers will then debate the merits of your case, and whether you deserve any help.

As someone who has spent a lot of time around American conservatives I can predict with near certainty that the answer is most likely going to be, “they brought it on themselves! I worked hard to get where I am and anyone else can in this great country!” Such words usually come from a spoiled guy who had everything handed to him in life, and at least 3 times out of 10 lives on a Government pension of some kind.

Thanks (you made me laugh, too). I agree. I come from a fundie very conservative extended family, plus I do have numerous conservative friends. Believe me, I don’t see ONE who actually gives a flying stuff about the poor, hungry kids, the down & out, etc. All I hear is ridiculous nutty rightwing talking points (frankly they all say almost exactly the same thing – word for word – no matter where they live in the country. I don’t have to listen to rushglenn to know what they’re spewing forth; I just listen to my family).

Those talking points these days are mostly about the dreaded neoliberal “nanny state” and how all those without jobs are solely and only responsible for their jobless status bc they are, one and all, lazy, worthless welfare bums looking to suck off the titty of conservatives who “work so hard.” Tinman has come here more times than I can count to scold ME about how I personally “pay no taxes” but want “spend others money.” When I pointed out to Tinman that I’ve worked 2 jobs most of my life and pay in the higher tax bracket, all I got in response was the predictable: crickets.

The conservatives that I know whine and bitch about paying for public schools at all. They don’t want to pay for someone else getting educated. They don’t think that they should have to do that. If someone’s gonna come here and tell me that conservatives have great big ole hearts and they’re endlessly concerned about hungry kids, then I want to go meet those particular conservatives. I know many conservatives, and they have told me to my face that by giving “poor kids” food, it’s just “enabling” their parents to be the lazy worthless Cadillac welfare queens that they are. So having their kids “go hungry” might teach them a lesson to get off their lazy butts and get a job.

Think I’m kidding or lying??? Well, think whatever fantasy you wish. That’s the truth. And my family are big huge church goers, but they are about the most selfish and self-absorbed people I know. They donate tons of money to worthless rightwing organizations that purport to “protect” them from all kinds of stupid stuff – and i know that money’s going straight into the pocket of some rightwing liar. But so be it. It’s their money.

If conservatives are all-so-fired upset about “big gov’t” and “spending money,” then whyohwhy are all conservatives so d*** willing to spend tons and tons and tons of MY “hard earned” money on War, Inc? These conservatives are duped fools, easily brainwashed by RushGlenn to toe the party line, which is all about demonizing poor people, in order to ensure that the Fat Cats get their way.

So. tired. of. the. nonsense.

That said, this latest manuever in the Senate is also about the venality of the Democrats. Let’s face it: dems are just as venal, money-grubbing as Repubs, and just as beholden to their corporate masters. The end.

Tinman ‘you people‘ and ‘crickets‘…manifest like a serious hex,
while conservatives are blessed by the seriously offended victorx!

Play the thumb violins, maestro…

My sources on the street tell me that the tinman is a hippy slinging snark.

A Haiku for Po’ Folks Losing Food Stamps:

Have “skin in the game”
Skin hanging off of bare bones
For Bam and the Mooch.

If you can read this, thank a teacher – quickly, before you die of famine.