Maybe we could trim Halliburtons contract or some other private contract for rebuilding Iraq to find the money to feed old folks, pregnant women and children. Or maybe we could just ask some of the private contractors in Iraq for the money government auditors say they wasted.

That could amount to billions.

Maybe it would persuade the Bush administration not to try its hand at budget-balancing at the expense of the poor.

Again this year the Bush budget proposal offers a $106 million cost-saving proposal: Eliminate the Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

The program provides food boxes for 500,000 elderly, pregnant or postpartum women and children. A lot of us refer to it as the ‘free cheese giveaway. Its a bit more than that. The food basket includes staples such as cans of mixed vegetables, rice, peanut butter, canned beef stuff that the needy can use when they run out of money before they run out of month.

Its not a box of fancy food just nutritious. Moreover, its not a huge sum of money that helps these poor people.

Yes, we know that a sage solon once said something like ‘a million here, a million there, and pretty soon, were talking about some real money.

But we notice that adage isnt sputtered out when public officials are grilling some corporate fat cat whose suits cost more than some peoples annual income about his salary and bonuses and how much government contracts contribute to them.

Nope, when politicians talk about fiscal responsibility, it usually means the least among us lose their paltry but much needed aid. Likely thats because they have so little clout and no financial wherewithal to catch public officials ears. When you lack enough money to keep the pantry stocked, it usually means youre not contributing to someones campaign coffers.

In the past, Congress has thwarted administration efforts to gut the commodity giveaway program. That would be appropriate for people who regularly tout themselves as God-fearing and values driven.

Keep an eye on these guys, and see what they do about the president moving our cheese.