The House and the Senate put forward incredibly disturbing budget cuts this week. The two bills are different, but both are equally disgusting. They've both addressed a small portion of the huge deficits we're incurring because of Tush's spending on the Iraq war and disaster relief with cuts to food stamp programs, agricultural subsidies, Medicaid programs, child-support enforcement programs, foster parent payments, student loans and prescription drug programs. The Senate bill passed by an almost party line vote: 52-47. Two Dems voted for it - Landrieu of Louisiana was one of them (!) - and 5 Rs voted against it.

Is there any doubt that our government values corporate interests more than those of our most needy citizens? All the rhetoric about our ridiculously inhumane views and policies toward poverty were laid bare to the world after the Katrina debacle - and this is our response. Sickening. It's worse when you realize that the $50 billion in cuts is a pittance compared to the several hundred billion in runaway spending we need to pay for. Making those who can least afford it make these sacrifices while those with more than enough are asked to contribute nothing is hideously immoral. Unlike cutting the $300 million bridge to nowhere in Alaska, these cuts will harm and kill people directly.

The concentration of wealth toward the already-wealthy orchesrated by the GOP should be evident to all. Our Democrats have been unacceptably complicit. It's immoral and it's anti-democratic.

ADDENDUM: John has a related post about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil drilling aspect of the budget bills - including an annotated bird list of the 180 bird species found in the ANWR.

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