Merry Christmas

Replace "jolly" with "sneering", and "bringing presents and holiday cheer to all the boys and girls" with "taking food and medical care away from poor kids" and we're got ourselves a hell of a Santa Claus story.

Dick Cheney flew back into D.C. to cast a tie-breaking vote on a budget bill that will, among other provisions devastating to low income families, cut $844 million in food stamps. That means 300,000 Americans will lose their food stamps, and- wait for the heartwarming Christmas twist- free or reduced price school meals will be taken away from 40,000 children.

It's cool, though, because we won't have to hear about the consequences of malnourishment on the health of these kids, since the budget bill also cut a whole bunch of foster children off of Targeted Case Management rolls, restricting their access to medical care and social services.

Think repossessing Tiny Tim's crutches four days before Christmas. If Tiny Tim had been in foster care.

An impressive show from a united Dem front and a couple of warm-blooded GOPers brought the vote to a tie, leading to Cheney's Anti-Claus stunt.

Usual snide denouement fails me- replace "sarcastic" with "heartbroken", I guess.