From Dan Greenberg, an Arkansas State Representative:
Jonah, FYI: Just days before the 1994 elections, Bill Kristol was asked on “Meet the Press” to elaborate on what programs he thought Republicans would cut or ought to cut. The only specifics Kristol offered were farm subsidies, whereupon President Clinton started warning the nation (or, at least, warning farm states) about the dangerous right-wing plot to cut farm subsidies in his stump speeches for congressional candidates:
“Now listen when I tell you what the stakes are in Congress, and why it is so important that you return Neal Smith and elect these other candidates for Congress. Last Sunday on “Meet the Press,” the Republicans’ top strategist in Washington, Bill Kristol, said he wanted to end farm subsidies, and as soon as the election is over, the Republican Senator from Kansas, their leader, would take the lead in doing just that. He said that; I didn’t. Now, Mr. Kristol, you’ve probably never heard of him, but he’s the fellow that tells them what to think up in Washington.” [ Laughter] (11/3/94, Des Moines)
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=49424
The notion that Republicans have historically been the top defenders of ag subsidies does not stand up to historical scrutiny. It is much more a rural-urban fight — Reps. Schumer (D-NY) and Armey (R-TX) were the congressional prime movers to cut ag subsidies in the 1990s. Like Dick Armey, the spirit to reduce these subsidies has vanished from Congress.
You have probably forgotten that we shared a table at a Cato Institute anniversary dinner in 1997. I have enjoyed reading your columns on the Web and in our local paper (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette). You appear to have become a bit more sympathetic to Cato-style analysis in the last ten years!
Me: I remember all! You owe me 20 bucks and some chicken-fried steak seasoning!