March 9, 2009 10:51AM 

# You Don’t Say 

By [Sallie James](https://www.cato.org/people/sallie-james) 

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President Obama [recently](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/24/politics/main4826494.shtml?source=RSSattr=Politics_4826494) indicated that he would cut the fiscally irresponsible (yet minimally market distorting) direct payments that flow to farmers regardless of their production. An outcry from farming groups has, predictably, ensued.

Just as predictably: “[A source in the administration says the proposal is being reconsidered because of the opposition it has received.](http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=groupblogs&GroupID=Blog:d9232a0f-5d6e-4642-83ba-254cdc04b290&plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ad9232a0f-5d6e-4642-83ba-254cdc04b290Post%3ae8e674ed-e771-44ff-8164-e86caa0479f6&sid=sitelife.desmoinesregister.com)”

##### Related Tags 

[Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy), [Trade Policy](https://www.cato.org/trade-policy), [Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies](https://www.cato.org/herbert-stiefel-center-trade-policy-studies) 

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