From the Associated Press:

“What was the Republican answer to the hurricanes? More subsidies to the oil industry*,” Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., said in his party’s weekly radio address.

Dingell said Democrats proposed a “tough anti-price-gouging law” and called for more federal money for research and development of renewable fuels and energy efficiency technologies to try to reduce the country’s need for oil.

(*Ed. note: He referred to billions in new subsidies, on top of the $8.1 billion in tax breaks, mostly for oil, gas, nuclear, coal and electric utilities over a 10 year period, that was passed last April. )

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Libby Quaid, for the Associated Press, yesterday:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The House Agriculture Committee approved budget cuts Friday that would take food stamps away from an estimated 300,000 people and could cut off school lunches and breakfasts for 40,000 children.

The action came as the government reported that the number of people who are hungry because they can’t afford to buy enough food rose to 38.2 million in 2004, an increase of 7 million in five years. The number represents nearly 12 percent of U.S. households.

“If there are cuts to be made, why should we make them on food stamps?” said Rep. David Scott, D-Ga. “This is the meanest cut of all.”

The cuts, approved by the Republican-controlled committee on a party-line vote, are part of an effort by the House GOP to curb federal spending by $50 billion. The food and agriculture cuts would reduce spending by $3.7 billion, including $844 million on nutrition, $760 million on conservation and $212 million on payments to farmers.

“The fact is, our country is going broke,” said Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio. “We’re spending money we don’t have and passing it onto our kids, and at some point, somebody’s got to say, ‘Enough’s enough.’”

And:

The White House proposed the restriction earlier this year.

The bill would also raise the waiting period for food stamps for legal immigrants from five to seven years.

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Terence O’Hara, (quoted from 2 links below):

… in 2004 Exxon Mobil earned more money — $25.33 billion — than any other company on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations.

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Joe Carroll in the July 29, 2005 Washington Post:

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, said yesterday that second-quarter profit rose 32 percent, to $7.64 billion, as Asia and North America used more crude oil and gasoline.

The quarterly profit was the third-highest in the company’s history. Revenue climbed 25 percent, to $88.57 billion, Exxon said. A doubling of oil prices since 2003 has put the Irving, Tex.-based company on a pace to surpass Wal-Mart Stores Inc. this year as the largest U.S. company by total revenue.

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Terence O’Hara in yesterday’s Washington Post, about Exxon Mobil’s 3rd quarter profits:

By most familiar comparisons, the $9.92 billion profit earned by Exxon Mobil Corp. in just three months is almost unimaginable. It would cover all Social Security benefit payments for three months. It would pay for an Ivy League education for about 60,000 kids. It would pay the average list price for more than 160 Boeing 737s. It would fund the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for more than two months.

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A February 2, 2005 floor speech by Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich:

“Mr. Speaker, the state of the Union is asleep. This administration cannot account for $9 billion it controlled in Iraq for a 9-month period ending last October. Wake up, America.

“While $9 billion went unaccounted for, the administration did not have enough money for bullet-proof vests or armor-plated protection for troops. It fought against increasing the combat death benefit and cut veterans benefits. Yet, for 9 months, an average of $30 million a day, totaling $9 billion, could not be accounted for by the administration’s Coalition Provisional Authority, according to the Inspector General. Do we hear a grand jury stirring?

“Was the $9 billion stolen? Was it used for bribes for peace or rent- a-friend or a paid assassin program? Was it funneled elsewhere to spend money to foment chaos, disorder and violence?

“The administration could not find WMDs, Osama bin Laden, and now $9 billion is unaccounted for. They want another $80 billion, while Halliburton makes a killing on overcharges. And they want us to trust them with Social Security? I do not think so.

“Wake up, America. Your democracy is disappearing.”

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I thought it was ‘feed a cold, starve a fever.’ But apparently, it’s ‘feed an oil exec, starve the children.’

This is your country. This is your country on GOP.