Oink! Oink! Oink!

The Washington Post reports that the solons on Capitol Hill have finalized their negotiations on the farm bill payola. The bill has wide support. The Post notes:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports the bill. Congressional leaders plan to bring it to the House and Senate floors next week for votes that could test the depth of support for it.

 

Here are some Post low-lights:

The package, the product of weeks of closed-door bargaining, is stuffed with plums for key constituencies. Dairy farmers will get as much as $410 million more over 10 years to cover higher feed costs, and negotiators tucked in an annual authorization of $15 million to help "geographically disadvantaged farmers" in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

The bill assures growers of basic crops such as wheat, cotton, corn and soybeans $5 billion a year in automatic payments, even if farm and food prices stay at record levels…

…new protections for sugar beet and sugar cane growers that will require the government to buy excess quantities of Mexican sugar and resell it to ethanol plants at a loss…

…bill increases support prices and guaranteed prices for more than a dozen crops, making the United States vulnerable to trading partners' claims that it violates subsidy limits.

Only taxpayers and consumers are the losers. President Bush says he'll veto the bill, but a lot of Republicans are in thrall to the farm lobby so this turkey of a bill is likely to pass over his veto. Go to Post story here.

Comments

[John-David]

It's so nice to see the results of that swamp draining we were promised.

[J sub D]

Same ol' shit, different party.

[Episiarch]

Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some amusement and I want more.

[joe]

Political cartoons are supposed to look enough like the subject that you can recognize who it is without a label.

I would have guessed that was Condoleeza Rice.

[sage]

Yeah, Pelosi's got some teeth in that one. Holy buckshot.

[UCrawford]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) supports the bill.

That alone is almost reason enough for me to hate the bill...she's one of the few politicians more incompetent than Dubya.

[P Brooks]

negotiators tucked in an annual authorization of $15 million to help "geographically disadvantaged farmers" in Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa and Puerto Rico.

Soon it will be time to start my banana plantation.

[mediageek]

Only taxpayers and consumers are the losers.

So, business as usual.

[ms]

Root for common sense, profit off of idiocy. Works every time.

[John Thacker]

Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some amusement and I want more.

Dems aren't better. Divided government might be better.

Bush wouldn't veto any Republican-passed bill, no matter how stupid (e.g., see the last farm bill). He might veto this one.

Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to hold onto Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President, right? All the pro-divided government libertarians who made the argument in 2006 should at least give it some thought now.

[J sub D]

Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to hold onto Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President, right? All the pro-divided government libertarians who made the argument in 2006 should at least give it some thought now.

I'm factoring it into my decision which I haven't yet finalized. I'm factoring in all of the dead people in Mesopotamia as well. Color me discouraged.

[Warren]

President Bush says he'll veto the bill

That's rich. Seeing as how in his first year in office he signed the Farm Bill that wiped out the result of decades of Ag reform. Now it's a Dem congress, he's against it.
Fucking piece of shit. I want that man, and his cronies, in front of a wall.

[joshua corning]

Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP.

Cuz libertarians are constitutionally unable to come up with a foreign policy so they simply cut and paste the left's foreign policy which requires irrational hatred of Bush.

[stuartl]

geographically disadvantaged farmers!!!

Does this mean if I try to grow grapes or corn in the woods behind my house, I can apply for federal aid as a "geographically disadvantaged farmer?" I promise to use some of the profit to support congressional campaigns.

Oh, and I fixed the open italics.

[joshua corning]

...she's one of the few politicians more incompetent than Dubya.

WTF are you talking about?

She got the farm bill she wanted, that the vast majority of Americans disagree with and she got it with a veto proof majority. How is that incompetent?

[joe]

Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_Corpus_Restoration_Act_of_2007

But, on the other hand, there is a farm bill this year, just like every other year.

So, I guess it's a question of your priorities.

[Taktix?]

I live in Fort Lauderdale, and urban area with little fertile farm land. Do I qualify as a "geographically disadvantaged farmer" and if so where's my check?

I need to buy Grand Theft Auto IV new seed for my arugula root farm.

(P.S. When looking up the spelling for arugula, I found that it's technical name is Eruca Sativa. Anyone know if it's related to cannibus sativa?

[joshua corning]

Of course, since the Democrats are almost surely going to hold onto Congress, that's a reason to vote McCain for President, right? All the pro-divided government libertarians who made the argument in 2006 should at least give it some thought now.

I hate to brake it to you...but the pro-divided government libertarians are not libertarians....but Democrats who lied to you.

[Reinmoose]

Should pro-divided government libertarians vote for someone who's constantly reminding us about how they want to unify the country and how we've been too divided?
Hmmm.... I wonder...

[Episiarch]

Thanks, joe, for giving me a good laugh, just as I requested. I appreciate it.

[John THacker]

The Post article also leaves out another expected but oh-so-charming detail.:
Congress refused the suggestion of the Administration to allow US food aid to spend some money buying crops and redistributed them in hard hit countries, instead of buying subsidized US crops, shipping them overseas at great expense, and dumping them on the market of the poor countries while driving their own farmers out of business. The purpose of US food aid isn't to help foreign countries, after all; that's incidental to helping US farmers.

[joe]

Yes, being thrown into a hole without trial is always good for a larf, Episiarch.

Military Commissions Act Roll Call

Democrats: Yay 11 Nay 32
Republicans: Yay 53 Nay 1

[joe]

But, hey, there's a farm bill.

So, you know, six of one, a half dozen of the other.

[Guy Montag]

...new protections for sugar beet and sugar cane growers that will require the government to buy excess quantities of Mexican sugar and resell it to ethanol plants at a loss...

Okay, I know this stuff is not supposed to make sense, but I am really not figuring this one out.

The feds are buying "excess" Mexican sugar? If it is truly excess shouldn't they be able to just offer free shipping to haul it out of the way? Then they are going to sell it for even less to those snake oil ethanol folks?

How is this protecting the beet and cane growers anyway? It is already illegal to import sugar into the USA, or is there some exemption for Mexican sugar? Or there is no Mexican exemption and the feds have to import it themselves?

This sounds even dumber than buying beet and cane sugar from our farmers and selling it at a loss to the ethanol huckesters.

[Neil]

Folks, if you think government spending is bad now, if B. Hussein gets the Presidency, you a'int seen nothin' yet.

[Guy Montag]

OT: SO, no official comment by reason on the Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY)and LTC(R-USAF) Fay story?

[Guy Montag]

should be LTC(USAF-Ret.)

[joe]

Knock Knock.

Who's there?

Enemy Combatant.

Enemy Combatant Who?

Cough cough gasp gargh sputter sputter blub blub blub gasp gasp cough cough sputter blub blub blub.

[joe-pesiarch]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa...

Stop it, stop it! You're kiling me!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaaaa!!!

[stuartl]

joe, are you trying to change the subject for some reason?

[testing]

You can leave italics open?

[J sub D]

Oh, and I fixed the open italics.

Which were Warren's fault.

[testing II]

maybe?

[John Thacker]

Yes, being thrown into a hole without trial is always good for a larf, Episiarch.

As opposed to being killed by the military, which is apparently no problem whatsoever, or at least non-controversial. Fighting enemy combatants in a foreign country and killing them-- ok. Capturing enemy combatants in a foreign country and giving them military trials-- outrageous. (And I suspect that honestly in the long run I'd probably take being waterboarded for a short period of time over being imprisoned in federal prison for 20 years, even aside from prison rape, but you see what gets more outrage.)

[joe]

sutartl,

Nope,

Episiarch | May 9, 2008, 11:38am | #

Please, someone come along and tell us why the Dems are better than the GOP. The Downfall thread already made for some amusement and I want more.

Please direct your comments to the appropriate party.

[stuartl]

testing, yes you can. It screws up subsequent posts until someone fixes it. I'm sure the software could be modified to close all open tags after a comment. HnR, are you listening?

jeo, are you the pot or the kettle?

[joe]

John Thacker,

I don't want to jack the thread onto a tangent of a tangent (of a tangent?). Suffice it to say, opinions do indeed vary on the merits of that particular bill.

[joe]

jeo, are you the pot..

It's not mine, officer. This, like, guy gave it to me. To hold for him. I didn't know WHAT it was.

I don't know his name, I've never seen him before.

[joez lawyer]

In addition, my client's name is misspelled on the indictment.

Move for dismissal.

[J sub D]

joe apparently wants to get in a pissing contest today.

[Episiarch]

Well, it's Friday. Like how I dangled it out there and yanked it away?

[robc]

I thought joe wanted threads where everyone was in agreement?

What happened to that joe from yesterday?

[Guy Montag]

JsD, robc, Episiarch,

That's just joe, he is so heavy, maaaaaan

[sneezix]

Joe said:
"But, hey, there's a farm bill.

So, you know, six of one, a half dozen of the other."

Patriot Act Roll Call

Democrats: Yay 48 Nay 1 Not Voting 1
Republicans: Yay 50 Nay 0

But, hey, there's foreign nationals' civil rights.

so, you know 700(ish) of one, 250 million(ish) of the other

[Pinette]

Anybody who truly believes that hatred for Bush is IRRATIONAL is a fucking retard.

[joe]

The MCA doesn't distinguish between foreign nationals and American citizens.

[joe]

Like how I dangled it out there and yanked it away?

Like a can of water at Gitmo?

[joe]

sneezix,

You mean, the parties act the same on some things, and different on others?

Good point.

[joshua corning]

Anybody who truly believes that hatred for Bush is IRRATIONAL is a fucking retard.

He is going to veto the farm bill last I checked. So yes hating Bush today is irrational.

[Timmy Mac]

Hey, kids. I know the modern farming system's a total mess what with subsidies and all. Can anyone recommend a good book about what sensible reform looks like?

I've read "Raising More Hell, Less Corn," but am interested in any other recommendations.

P.S. Go Celtics!

[Taktix?]

He is going to veto the farm bill last I checked. So yes hating Bush today is irrational.

I heard today he was going to veto the real-estate speculator bail-out as well. He must have run out of his secret stash of booze...

[joe]

The Celtics are all set.

I mean, did you see those last two games?

What could possibly go wrong?

[prolefeed]

geographically disadvantaged farmers!!!

Does this mean if I try to grow grapes or corn in the woods behind my house, I can apply for federal aid as a "geographically disadvantaged farmer?"

Only if your congressional representative is a freshman incumbent seeking to bring home the pork so s(he) can stay in office.

See Hirono, Mazie (D, Hawaii)

(with some logrolling with the Alaska contingent -- see Inouye, Dan (D, Hawaii) and Mr. Bridge to Nowhere (R, Alaska))

[robc]

Timmy Mac,

I cant recommend a good book but I can write one.

Sensible Farming Reform, by robc

1. Eliminate all farm subsidies
2. Eliminate all price supports
3. Eliminate farm product tariffs beyond a token to pay inspection costs
4. Allow the sale of raw milk

[robc]

What could possibly go wrong?

1. They could play in Cleveland like they did in Atlanta
2. LeBron could actually hit a shot

[robc]

robc,

Before I get criticized for it, the "beyond a token to pay inspection costs" was my nod to sensibility. I really didnt want to put that on there.

[MikeP]

The feds are buying "excess" Mexican sugar? If it is truly excess shouldn't they be able to just offer free shipping to haul it out of the way? Then they are going to sell it for even less to those snake oil ethanol folks?

Just to hazard a guess...

NAFTA may finally allow free trade in sugar, so the feds are buying Mexican sugar to keep the price up for domestic sugar. And that now-government sugar may feed R&D for sugar-based ethanol plants in the US as a subsidy to that industry and a bone thrown to the left.

Laws and sausage, yadda yadda yadda -- except the sausage is that described in The Jungle.

[Mo]

Should pro-divided government libertarians vote for someone who's constantly reminding us about how they want to unify the country and how we've been too divided?

We can't vote for George Bush again.

joe in the Atlanta series:
"They won the first two games by over 20, what could possibly go wrong?

[anon]

What could possibly go wrong?

The Lakers kicking their butts?

[Mo]

The Lakers kicking their butts?

From your lips to Flying Spaghetti Monster's ears.

[J sub D]

The Celtics are all set.

I mean, did you see those last two games?

What could possibly go wrong?

The Pistons. Three NBA titles and five visits to the finals since the last time the Celtics won the Eastern conference. That's a whole lotta losing to blame on Len Bias.

[Timmy Mac]

If I'd know the Celtics throwaway line would prove to be such a distraction from book recs, I woulda skipped it.

Embrace your new green overlords and tell me the books already!

[Jim Walsh]

Back to farm pork for a moment: I live in North Dakota where the running joke goes, "if you see a farmer, be sure to go up to him and say, 'you're welcome...'"

[NP]

You're wrong, J sub D. Have you seen their (the Pistons') last few games? They ain't as knuckle-breaking as they used to be. The Celtics will most likely win the Eastern Conference and then the Championship, unless Kobe puts up some extraordinary one-man shows throughout the finals (not that he hasn't been doing that so far). The Celtics just need to make sure to do better on the road, that's all.