Submitted for your approval: Another pair of cases that demonstrate the hoary truism that, "It's okay if you're a Republican."
First, State Rep. Dean Kaufert (R-Neenah) announces he wants to regulate what kinds of foods that poor people on federal food stamps may consume. Kaufert's proposal would require Food Stamp recipients to spend more on foods with higher nutritional value and less on snacks. Kaufert would require that the state Department of Health Services establish guidelines over the, er, federal program.
Yes, Rep. Kaufert is from the same political party some of whose other members heavily criticized New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg when he pushed a plan in that city to limit the size of super-gulp-sized sugar soda drinks, in his own campaign to improve the health of residents. In the case of Bloomberg (who happens to be a moderate Republican), GOP and conservative critics argued the plan was an assault on personal freedom. Of course, that New York measure didn't discriminate based on income or enrollment in a particular government program. It affected everyone. Everyone! Bad! Bad!
On the other hand, in Republicanland, it's never an assault on personal freedom to boss around poor people, telling them what to do, especially if they're so poor they're on public assistance.
