Ted Kennedy's Big, Fat Lie: '36 Million Americans Go To Bed Hungry Every Night'

Fox News Sunday/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Chris Wallace had Ted Kennedy cornered. The Fox News Sunday host displayed Kennedy's 1995 bitter condemnation of welfare reform: "legislative child abuse . . . let them eat cake." It should be noted that as Wallace began to reference the statement, Kennedy objected, blustering that "this is 2006" - as if his past misjudgments are irrelevant even though he would he has apparently learned nothing from them.

Wallace went on to make the point that the employment rate among unmarried women has soared and the child poverty rate has dropped. He put it to Kennedy: "hasn't welfare reform worked?" Fighting back, the senior senator from Massachusetts claimed that Wallace's numbers on child poverty "are absolutely wrong," asserting there has been an increase in the number of children living in poverty in the United States. He then dropped this bomb:

"We have 36 million Americans that are going to bed hungry every night. 36 million Americans! And 12 million of those are children!"

View video of Kennedy's 36-million claim here.

Kennedy's claim is flatly false. According to the USDA, 13 million households, containing 36 million people, reported that at least one household member was food insecure in a recent year. “Food insecure” means that “, such households at some time during the year were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food for all their members because they had insufficient money or other resources."

Yet Kennedy counted every person who might have been "uncertain" of having enough money to get food - at any time during the year - as "going to bed hungry every night."

As has been widely noted, the major food-related problem for poor children isn't hunger - it's obesity.Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation is an expert on these issues. Here's what he recently wrote on the subject:

"While hunger due to a lack of financial re-sources does occur in the United States, it is limited in scope and duration. According to the USDA, on a typical day, fewer than one American in 200 will experience hunger due to a lack of money to buy food."

In a country of 300 million, that means something less than 1.5 million people.

It's a shame Chris Wallace didn't have these facts handy. But on thing is clear: Kennedy's claim that 36 million go to bed hungry every night is nothing short of . . .a big, fat lie.

Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[patton]

There have been lots of time in my life when I didn't have lunch money. Never knew I was "food insecure", though.

[norton]

Monty Python did a skit about rental arguments:
The service provided was simply someone across the table saying 'did not' in various forms.

No debate, just "not..."

Fox had its usual fair and balanced Pubbie/Dimbo on this morning and aside from the dim's constantly talking over the Republican - it was the same quality discussion.

Their plan seems securely locked into (a) drowning out the other side, and (b) "Not..."

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Wallace did have facts and figures ready about the way Kennedy was wrong about welfare reform. But in fairness I don't think Chris should have been expected to anticipate that Kennedy would come out with this whopper about 36 million going to bed hungry every night.

[pandoraou812]

Maybe Teddy ought to take some of the Kennedy money and feed people. I like the thought of him in a Homeless shelter handing out dinner but it might make some people lose their appetites.

[Churchillspirit]

I heard that for every bottle of Scotch that is sold in this country, the Kennedys receive a percentage of the price.

Anyone know if this is true?

[Churchillspirit]

I think I actually loathe him more than Bubba.

[PeteB570]

Is this 36 million the same ones who are overweight?

That might be part of the problem.

[COUNTrecount]

A spokesperson for Ted "the swimmer" Kennedy, the 71 year old senior senator from Massachusetts, stated that the senator was injured in a "food incident" but refused to provide details.

However, Gerry Rhino, the proprietor of a Boston Ben & Fairies Ice Cream, told reporters that the senator had been licking the insides of a blender when his tongue became caught in the beaters, pulling the 645 pound senator headfirst into the blender.

A spokeswoman for the Boston Fire Department stated that the "jaws of life" had been used to pry the senator from the blender. She reported that the senator had been transported unconscious with an IV solution of hot fudge and whipped cream to Boston Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Etum Faster of Boston Memorial described the senator as in serious, but stable, condition. "As long as he continues to eat, his state of consciousness doesn't matter."

Dr. Faster distributed a copy of the senator's Advanced Directive which states "I am to be to be maintained by whatever means, and in whatever condition, as long as I continue to be able to take food by mouth."

developing...

[andy58-in-nh]

Their plan seems securely locked into (a) drowning out the other side, and (b) "Not..."

Teddy has always had a preference for (a)...

[PeteB570]

What? Did the dogs get it or what? It was just aging and tenderizing out on the counter.

Grilling on a hot grill kills all the bad stuff on the outside.

Me? Meat eater from way back. Come from a long line of meat eaters. Arrrrrr, comp, comp. :-)

[cajungirl]

I went to bed hungry last nite. I just got a pair of Seven jeans and want to lose my muffin!

Maybe Ted is upset over all us trying to lose our muffins.

[McGavin999]

It's probably true that at LEAST 36 million Americans go to bed hungry every night. I know that I do!

I've been on a diet now for over a month and EVERY night I go to bed hungry.

[Lumper20]

What a photo! Speaks a 1,000 words.

I doubt Ted K even knows anyone who is poor.

[Paulus Invictus]

I'm one of Kennedy's "hungry every night people!" I'm on this dang diet that works too well and I'm always hungry. Can I perhaps sue the diet book's author so I can get back to normality and enjoy at least a Semi Big Mac before retiring? Kennedy is obviously not on the same diet and retires every night with a full tummy awash in calories and ample doses of alcohol. Does he feel guilty about it, one wonders? The Kennedy tribe keeps us reminded of the ghastly effect the horrendous family has had on America and is a plague that will not go away.

[Lumper20]

I did not watch Fox. I can state that I doubt Ted K is running a soup line or feeding the poor.

[MissEdie]

And Teddy boy goes to bed every night a murderer.

[Frank_2001]

Agreed!

[operation clinton cleanup]

I heard that for every bottle of Scotch that is sold in this country, the Kennedys receive a percentage of the price.

Oh crap! I certainly hope not. I would hate to be responsible for supporting the Kennedy family train wreck.

[operation clinton cleanup]

Ted had his muffin under control back in the day.

[Farmer Dean]

One of the worst cases of deficit eating I've ever seen.