An provocative article in this Sunday's post about food banking, a subject I got to be familiar with while doing a fellowship on hunger issues. The author's main point is that food banking is a distraction from the real problem of ending poverty with public policy. Point well taken, but I had a few objections. I felt like he generalized a bit too much about food banks. For example, the Oregon Food Bank, where I used to work, has a vibrant public policy department and sees policy work as part of its mission. Many other food banks do the same.

CQ reports today that the Democrats' $11 billion compromise on appropriations might be picking up momentum. In evidence, they offer that the President did not mention appropriations in his weekend radio address and something about Sen. Jon Kyl not wanting domestic spending tied to war funding. Color me unconvinced. The more reasonable interpretation is that the Republicans haven't moved from their position of rejecting this compromise.