Alabama's war on children has been a success, so if your name is Dennis Rehberg and you're planning to run for the Senate, why not try to capture some of that same magic?
Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), who’s expected to face Sen. John Tester (D) in the Montana Senate race next year, is worried that some families who receive federally-subsidized lunches may be gaming the system and therefore bilking you out of your hard-earned taxpayer dollars. [...]
Rehberg is fond of looking to the nation’s education subsidies to find extraneous money that can be cut. Back in April, he landed in some hot water after he said that Pell Grants were the same as welfare, a comment he quickly walked back after public outcry back home in Big Sky Country. [...]
In Montana, the concern is not fraud caused by poor families, according to the state Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, but rather poor families not getting the assistance they need. Her office told TPM that “there are many people eligible for free and reduced lunch who don’t apply for the program out of stigma.”
“The Superintendent has absolutely no concern that Montana families are committing fraud,” Montana OPI spokesperson Allyson Hagen said.
You show those children who eat barely-edible, poorly balanced, far from nutritional lunches at school, which also happen to be free if you're poor, who's boss! Their life of luxury cannot continue!
Is Dennis Rehberg talking out of his ass? Of course he is, but we ignore this kind of crazy talk at our own peril. When Teabaggers control congress, this "crazy talk" has a way of finding itself inserted into actual legislation.
Fortunately, Sen. Jon Tester (D) would appear to be taking the gloves off to defend his seat.
“Millionaire Congressman Dennis Rehberg went to an elementary school and demanded to know about fraud in the school lunch program for low income students,” Tester campaign manager Preston Elliott told TPM. “At the same time he’s voted to increase his own pay 5 times and to protect subsidies for oil companies. Well, Dennis, the fraud is you telling Montana families that you’re on their side.”
I couldn't have said it better myself.