Jane Chastain : Politically Direct

It has been estimated that the average American gains seven pounds during the holiday season. No wonder! There is a constant stream of delectable goodies that tempt us at preholiday parties. No Christmas would be complete without the annual cookie bake. Candy canes and fudge abound. Fruits and nuts go into Christmas stockings as well as the traditional cake. Then, there is the big feast on December 25.

A Christmas without all that food is hard to imagine. However, those who lived through the Great Depression know that, during the 1930s, many people in this country were without adequate nutrition. They went to bed hungry — not just on Christmas — but all though the year.

It is no accident that the Senate, playing on this old fear, passed the depression-era farm subsidy reauthorization bill as most of us were busy stuffing our faces. Read the rest of this entry »

The difference between a statesman and a politician is that the former looks to the next generation, and the latter to the next election. English Proverb

The United States of American was established by statesmen – men who put the welfare of the citizenry above that of their own. There are very few statesmen among today’s political leaders, even fewer among those who seek the office of president. Last week’s Republican presidential debate was a case in point. Read the rest of this entry »