Republicans to can Big Bird, Baby Einstein and your kids' school art program:

[Suu]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/congress-republicans-nea-neh.html

Federal support for arts and culture is now officially in the cross hairs of congressional Republicans, if that's a metaphor we're still allowed to use.

Any way you want to describe it, the Republican Study Committee, made up of about 165 GOP members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday announced a budget-cutting plan aimed at slashing federal spending, and it calls for the elimination of the nation's two leading makers of government arts grants: the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Also on the chopping block is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

[Phox]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/congress-republicans-nea-neh.html

Federal support for arts and culture is now officially in the cross hairs of congressional Republicans, if that's a metaphor we're still allowed to use.

Any way you want to describe it, the Republican Study Committee, made up of about 165 GOP members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday announced a budget-cutting plan aimed at slashing federal spending, and it calls for the elimination of the nation's two leading makers of government arts grants: the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Also on the chopping block is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

.... I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country.

[Suu]

Oh, and this pretty much destroys any chance that General Stuart would have been awarded a public sector archaeological gig this year. I guess cutting spending isn't going to help the economy after all!

[Cain]

Foreign aid is also in the crosshairs, thanks to Rand Paul.

To be fair some foreign aid is stupid and counterproductive (giving Israel $3 billion a year so they can tell the US to fuck off when asked to stop building settlements in the Occupied Territories, giving nearly as much every year to Egypt to not have a revolution or declare war on Israel) but some of it is pretty necessary, or at least non-damaging and profitable for all involved.

[Juana]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/01/congress-republicans-nea-neh.html

Federal support for arts and culture is now officially in the cross hairs of congressional Republicans, if that's a metaphor we're still allowed to use.

Any way you want to describe it, the Republican Study Committee, made up of about 165 GOP members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday announced a budget-cutting plan aimed at slashing federal spending, and it calls for the elimination of the nation's two leading makers of government arts grants: the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Also on the chopping block is the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

.... I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country. I hate this country.

Fucking THIS.

[Jenne]

They've been wanting to do this for YEARS.  Ever hear a Republican wax on and on about the NEA and the kind of "art" that it "allows"?  Shameless--godless--downright disgusting and awful (crucifixes in urine and anal bullwhips are promptly displayed as such examples).  And CPB is LIBRUL ME-DEE-UH!  So they've been chomping at the bit since the Clinton era to get these programs axed out of the budget.