The other day, I clicked over to Drudge and noticed giant red all-caps headlines about a $2 million two-pound ham paid for out of recovery act funds. Much like Mr. Punch-Me Face who thinks comedy = making funny faces, wingnuts will kneejerk onto any funny-sounding word associated with the president and make a huge stink about it. In this case, ham.
Get it? Ham? Pork? Porkulus? ZING! Volcanos? BAH-HAHAHA! Magnetic levitation? HOO-HOO! Silly Democrat Party!
Here's the thing with the ham.
Through the Recovery Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made $100 million available to the states for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which acquires food that is distributed to local organizations that assist the needy -- including food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.
The Recovery Act funds referenced in press reports allowed states to purchase ham, cheese and dairy products for these food banks, soup kitchens and food pantries that provide assistance to people who otherwise do not have access to food. This program will help reduce hunger of those hardest hit by the current economic recession.
They're using it to feed starving people. And the price tag was the cumulative cost for 760,000 pounds. Not two pounds.
Eff you, Drudge.
And as I type this, Dylan Ratigan -- on his new MSNBC show titled "Why Don't You Go Ahead And Come In On Saturday" or some such corporate-themed bullshit -- just opened the show with the ham thing.
Drudge rules their world.