Do as we say; not as we do

Not too often, but every now and then, a politician does something refreshingly right for a change. Sometimes a politician will even call out other politicians for their gross hypocrisy. I love it when that happens.

Most politicians, for example, have a tendency to ask people to do as they say; not as they do. They like to lord it over us little people with reams of laws, statutes, rules and regulations purportedly for our own good, and the greater good of society in general, but when it comes to their own gluttonous personal behavior, they don’t like to follow their own standards.  

Congressman Rodney Davis, R-Ill., is, albeit facetiously, calling out the Obama administration on this tendency. He’s introduced a bill to require that Presidential state dinners abide by public school cafeteria food and calorie count standards for kid’s meals. In short, he wants the government fat cat political aristocracy and their high society guests forced to eat the same tasteless low calorie shit the school children have to eat.

The congressman would like to see the President and his state dinner guests live by the same strict rules and guidelines the federal government has set for school lunches. After all, it’s only fair. If it’s so good for the kids, it must also be good for the adults.

“Back home our school districts and students are frustrated and feel like their government is not listening,” Davis explained. Even though his legislation stands little chance of passage, he describes it as a message that if the government wants to dictate what children can eat, they should lead by example.

According USDA standards, which were championed by first lady Michelle Obama as part of her “Let’s Move!” anti-obesity campaign, middle school students are allowed a mere 550 calories for breakfast and 700 for lunch, and high school students 600 for breakfast and 850 for lunch.

The same rules also dictate portion sizes as well as calorie counts, limit saturated fat, sodium, and require more whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Not only are the portions and calories for the kids severely restricted in the interest of preventing obesity, but the actual food they do get tastes like cardboard.

But last Tuesday night's state dinner in honor of French President Francois Hollande boasts a menu that clearly wouldn’t meet the same guidelines. In fact, it wouldn't even come close. The fancy dinner was intended to celebrate “the best of American cuisine,” according to the White House.

First course: American Osetra caviar; Fingerling potato velouté, quail eggs, crisped chive potatoes; Second course: “The Winter Garden Salad”; petite mixed radish, baby carrots, merlot lettuce; Red wine vinaigrette; Main course: Dry-aged high fat content rib eye beef; Jasper Hill Farm blue cheese, charred shallots, oyster Mushrooms, and braised chard; Dessert: Hawaiian chocolate-malted ganache; Vanilla ice cream and tangerines.

Of course, this elegant menu, furnished entirely at taxpayer expense, consists mainly of high-fat, high-calorie foods; foods which would be routinely and systematically purged from school cafeteria trays for the kids.

Their highnesses, if they clean their royal plates, will consume 2,500 calories and 152 grams of fat in this one meal --- not counting the alcohol. Compare that to the USDA’s calorie guidelines for school kids, which allow only a maximum of 1,150 calories for both breakfast and lunch.

Add in the wine list to this expensive high fat feast: Morlet “La Proportion Doree” 2011 Napa Valley, California; Chester-Kidder Red Blend 2009 Columbia Valley, Washington; Thibaut-Janisson “Blanc de Chardonnay” Monticello, Virginia; and they’ll have a royal banquet fit for a king, queen and their court, which Barack and Michelle fancy themselves as, along with their guests.

Meanwhile all the little the serfs and peasants at public school cafeterias across the heartland of America will be eating their government mandated low fat, low calorie porridge, vegetables and gruel. To these poor urchins the President and his queen, while they enjoy their all expenses paid government feast, will be thinking:

Do as we say; not as we do.