Potatoes the latest victim of food police

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to eliminate the "white potato"-defined as any variety but the sweet potato-from federally subsidized school breakfasts and to limit them sharply at lunch.

Messing with a stalwart like the spud doesn't go well with the potato industry, school cafeteria directors and legislators from potato-growing regions. They're fighting to see that in schools, no potato is left behind.

As part of the effort, spud sellers are promoting potatoes as a "true gateway vegetable" that could lead kids to broccoli.

At a March Senate hearing on the USDA budget, Sen. Susan Collins (R., Maine) hoisted a standard-fare brown-skinned spud in one hand and, in the other, a head of iceberg lettuce, which hasn't come under explicit federal scrutiny. One medium white potato contains nearly twice the vitamin C "as this entire head," she said, asking: "So my question, Mr. Secretary, is what does the department have against potatoes?"

The proposed change is part of a push to make school meals healthier, with more nutrient-rich vegetables and fewer French fries. Under the USDA proposal, school cafeterias would have to limit starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas and lima beans to a total of one cup per week for lunch.

What has the department against potatoes? The gentleman is on a fools errand if he thinks he is going to get a rational response from those bozos. Their reasoning is thus: kids like potatoes; anything kids like has to be unhealthy for you; ergo, if kids like potatoes, off with their spuds!

And what's this nonsense about only one cup of corn a week? Or peas? Lima beans, you can keep but holy cow, next thing you know they'll be force feeding us borscht!

I'd check donations to the Democratic party from dandelion farmers. I'll bet it's very revealing.