Earl Butz

My friend Sir X. Y., when working as an agriculture journalist, once interviewed Earl Butz (1909-2008), President Nixon’s Secretary of Agriculture. It was more than 45 years ago, but he never got over it, and Butz lives on in his work like a ghostly presence. Just a few days ago he posted more about Butz on his website, in the context of the 2014 Farm Bill and its effect on food stamps (a Department of Agriculture program). Although my men tied me to the mast of my ship, as I had told them to do, they couldn’t get it done before I posted this doggerel as a comment to his article.

Let us praise the late Earl Butz,
A patriot and not a putz.
Food stamps make us eat at home
Instead of out at Pizza Huts.

March 2014