Examiner Editorial: Grassroots GOP looking for Hill leaders with backbone

By Washington Examiner | FEBRUARY 3, 2014

To understand why grassroots dissatisfaction with the Republican establishment in Washington is so intense, look no further than the Agriculture Act of 2014 produced by a Senate-House conference committee. The measure will soon be on President Obama's desk, and he will sign it into law. The conventional wisdom inside the Beltway is that the farm bill shows it remains possible for the Democratic Senate and Republican House to put their profound differences aside and compromise in order to move important legislation. On closer inspection, however, it's business-as-usual in Washington, with Republican conference committee negotiators collapsing like an old sports stadium being dynamited by a demolition team.

A bit of recent history: When House Republicans approved the farm bill favored by most of the conservative and Tea Party members last year, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- aka food stamps -- was separated from appropriations for agriculture programs. Food stamp reforms that would have cut $40 billion over a decade were then approved. Predictably, Democrats and their allies in the liberal precincts of the mainstream media accused the Republicans of putting starving mothers and children on the street. The Democrat-led Senate insisted on an undivided farm bill with virtually no food stamp cuts…..To Read More…..

Also......

The farm bill: Left and Right on one side; specialinterests and the mainstream media on the other,  By Timothy P. Carney | FEBRUARY 3, 2014 AT 10:55 AM