Down on the farm

As the president nears a deal to sign a massive omnibus spending bill that contains a few billion dollars less than congressional Democrats wanted, he should put aside his desire to compromise when it comes to the farm bill.

The $288 billion abomination is a virtual candy store for big agribusiness -- all paid for by taxpayers. Farmers are earning record prices for many crops, yet the measure -- passed 79-14 in the Senate last week -- showers them with increased subsidies and direct payments.

If there's a microcosm of what's wrong with Washington, this is it. It's a classic case of parochial interests -- Midwest and Southern lawmakers from both parties see the bill as key to their political survival -- trumping what's right for the nation as a whole.

"Congress has refused to significantly limit farm income subsidies for the wealthiest Americans," the White House said in a statement.

Well, then, we trust that the president will follow through on his vow to veto the bill.

President Bush asked for one major reform: a more stringent income cap limiting eligibility for subsidies. Congress thumbed its nose at the notion and instead approved a watered-down version of his proposal.

Farmers who earn millions may still prey on the taxpayer. Limits on the amount individual "farmers" may receive from Washington continue to be a joke.

The Los Angeles Times noted over the weekend that many groups blame the Senate's Democratic leadership -- which would include our own Sen. Harry Reid -- for the bill's many shortcomings. Several proposals that had majority support -- including measures to cap annual payments and ban subsidies to some rich farmers -- were killed because Sen. Reid & Co. appeased farm-state lawmakers by agreeing to a 60-vote threshold for some amendments.

The House and Senate must now reconcile their competing versions of the bill before it heads to the president's desk. But while the farm bill passed with a veto-proof majority in the Senate, that wasn't the case in the lower chamber.

So there is still a sliver of hope if the president follows through.