Food stamps plus stimulus?

The White House is warning Senate Democrats to avoid loading the stimulus package with what they define as 'pork." For one, Sen. Tom Harkin has advocated a defined food stamp benefit in the stimulus package. Not so fast, says the WH. From The Financial Times:

Hank Paulson, the US Treasury secretary, warned yesterday that adding direct spending measures to the $150bn economic stimulus package agreed last week would be "a slippery slope" that could derail the deal, urging the Senate to approve it quickly.

His comments highlight Bush administration concerns that signs of dissatisfaction from top Senate Democrats with elements of the deal - reached between the White House and House of Representatives - could at least delay the package.

"Once you start considering additions - the food stamps, unemployment insurance and so on - it's a slippery slope and there's a real danger that we're going to [get bogged] down and screech to a stop," Mr Paulson told CNN.

TK: As tempting as it is to load up targeted benefits in this stimulus package, it makes sense to keep it simple and give consumers maximum flexibility.