While the reality based community is concerned about the fact that a third of this country's children are obese, the magical world of Fox & Friends thinks that this is no big whoop and attempts to curtail this problem are an infringement, by the Obama administration and Michelle Obama, on personal freedom. As such, Fox & Friends provides happy validation (War on Health) for those who oppose new guidelines for health school meals - even to the point of praising the nutritional value of sugar laden chocolate milk. In attempting to allay concerns about the dangers of too much salt, they brought in a representative from - wait for it - "The Salt Institute." And now that the kids in Kansas are upset about healthier school lunches, Fox & Friends is on their side and to reinforce the message that unhealthy eating is good for your kids is - wait for it - the aforementioned representative, Lori Roman, from the Salt Institute. Only in the Orwellian world of Fox is school nutrition part of "the trouble with schools."
On Saturday, Alisyn Camerota reported on the "rebellion" by kids who are upset with the new guidelines. Dave Briggs said that the Obama administration is attempting "to quiet" the backlash with a "snack program." He asked if that will "be enough." He introduced the founder of "Regular Folks United" and "a concerned parent," Lori Roman.
Stop right here - Lori Roman is more than a regular folk and concerned parent. From 2006 to 2008 she was director of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) a powerful group founded by right wing activists for the purpose of enacting conservative legislation and policies such as privatizing education, breaking unions, and passing voter ID laws. She is also president of the "Salt Institute" a group dedicated to the awesomeness of salt. Roman's "Regular Folks United" is a Tea Party group which, among other things, denies the greenhouse affect. NONE OF THIS was disclosed by Fox & Friends.
To Brigg's comment about how "mother knows best," Roman said that this is being replaced with "federal government knows best." She claimed that it "is wrong on so many levels" adding that "the one size fits all" (as the kids approach super size!) approach "doesn't make sense." Doing her "mom" shtick, she opined that the bureaucrat who took away the salt and butter "mustn't be a parent" and "moms are noticing." She said it was ironic that a program that was supposed to do away with hunger is "making them hungry."(So school lunch should just fill up kids and who cares about the Type 2 diabetes!) She feigned interest in "poor kids" who won't get a snack from home to supplement their hunger. (FYI, Roman does not have a background in science or nutrition. Her undergrad degree is in business and her Masters is in Administration.)
That provided a segue for Camerota to advance the meme introduced on Fox Nation; i.e. the suggestion, from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, that if kids are hungry they should snack more. She said the message is "mixed" because snacking is part of the problem. She didn't say that Vilsack was talking about healthy snacks. Roman advanced the right wing talking points with her comment that this is "typical federal government, you break it, we'll fix it" by providing less food at higher price and worse quality. (Fact Check - there will be more fruits and vegetables and less protein and carbs - in other words, healthy. As far as "quality" that's her baseless opinion). She claimed that packing a snack is a problem (What about personal responsibility?)
More right wing talking points about the danger of government getting involved on local level and "this is why moms and dads are pushing back." Continuing the mom schtick, she asked "what's a mom and dad supposed to do when the edict comes from the federal government" and they have nobody to complain to. Her next statement could have come straight from the Fox News propaganda chamber. "Are they supposed to complain to Michelle Obama?" (Hey Lori, how bout they put their kids in private schools which, in many cases, don't provide lunches. That way, parents can pack all lots of nutritious fatty and salty stuff) And that ended what was an almost uninterrupted whine from somebody with an agenda not identified to the Fox audience.
As the SNL "Gretchen Carlson" character, who "loves fatties," said, "When there are NO fat kids, who's gonna play the comic relief in Disney movies?" Art reflects life?
But Greg, let’s not forget . . . both the GOP presidential candidate and the titular head of the GOP {Mittens and Rush} are already on record as stating the poor should not be “entitled” to such “luxuries” as food . . .
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In doing so, the problem of progressive voters being outnumbered via voter suppression techniques, will eventually take care of itself . . .
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