Yesterday, I did my best to express my outrage at the way the rich grow richer while the poor and middle class are asked to make sacrifices. Unfortunately, I wrote that piece before Minnesota’s own John Kline added his voice to the debate, saying that our country simply can’t afford to help the unemployed, because our first priority has to be tax cuts for the rich:

KLINE: That’ll be a tougher lift in the 112th Congress. We’ve had unemployment benefits be extended for almost two years in some states, a little bit less in Minnesota. When you’re running a one and a half trillion dollar deficit per year, that’ll be part of the discussion as to whether that’s a priority for how we’re going to spend money. I would just reiterate what I said earlier, that the obligation for the Congress is to look at the entire budget and recognize that we’re borrowing over forty cents of every dollar that we spend, and say what are the priorities going to be. We can’t fund everything. [Emphasis added]

That’s right, it’s all about priorities. And John Kline just told you exactly what his priorities are. He thinks that spending $700 billion to give the richest Americans a large enough tax cut to buy 80,000 jars of Grey Poupon a year is crucial, but spending $12.5 billion to allow millions of unemployed workers to feed their children is a waste of money.

I’m speechless. I don’t even have the words to express my disgust, horror, and outrage. John Kline wants to give the rich enough money for 800 cigars a year, each one lit with a $100 bill, but says “we don’t have the money” to give even the most basic help to the poor. People may literally starve to death under John Kline’s leadership, while the rich enjoy their cigars.