Big Ag Ally Blanche Lincoln Takes Over Senate Agriculture Committee
Comment from the contributor:
The Washington Independent reports: "With the news that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) will be leaving his post to take the helm of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committeefollowing the death of that panel’s previous chairman, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) is set to take Harkin’s place on the Agriculture Committee. While the move caught many by surprise — Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) was first in line to take Kennedy’s place at HELP, but it was reported yesterday that he will remain chairman of the powerful Senate Banking Committee — it appears that the agriculture industry may have been betting all year that Lincoln would assume the top role at Agriculture.
According to the campaign contribution-tracking watchdog Center for Responsive Politics, Lincoln, who is up for re-election in 2010, leads all members of Congress so far this year with at least$306,500 in donations from agribusiness-connected individuals and political action committees. By comparison, she received a total of just $251,500 from the agribusiness sector from 2005 to 2008. During the 2007-2008 cycle, Lincoln was not even among the top 20 Senate recipients of agribusiness contributions."
Precisely! Things are getting harder since downturn of economy. Saving money and losing weight are two things everyone is obsessed with. If you want to do both at the same time, and save on food bills or stretch what you buy longer. Try to stick to correct food portion or serving size. Instead of eating the entire breast of chicken, cube and cook the correct portion size – save the rest. Leftovers are just as good, and hey – you're doing good things. Don't pull a Karen Carpenter – instead, eat serving size portions, and stick to the experts' recommendation, by eating small meals every few hours, about 5 a day. That way, you'll be saving money and eating healthier – no credit cards for unnecessary food bills, and inches off the waist.