A Whale of a Cut

Item #2 on Eric Cantor's YouCut list of programs he wants to terminate is the "Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners Program" whose elimination would save $87.5 million over ten years.

Tad DeHaven subjects this to some appropriate derision, noting the less than earth-shattering implications of the reduction: "America is at a 'critical crossroads' and the GOP leadership is offering to cut whaling history subsidies? Congress is bankrupting the nation and the possible next GOP House majority leader – 'never a details man' – can't even specify what he would cut in the budget."

It's actually worse than DeHaven realizes. Eliminating this program was already part of the Obama administration's FY 2011 budget. There's just nothing doing here.