Quote of the day: (1) The good news—Ben and Jerry sound an ice-cream-fortified call to shift spending priorities from nukes to our children

How can our nation be satisfied to lead the industrialized world in nuclear weapons technology, while falling behind other nations in caring for our children? Urge Congress to redirect spending priorities to invest more in America's children. Tell them America's children deserve a bigger slice of the pie.
—Ben and Jerry, on their website, introducing their new American Pie ice-cream flavor

"America stands first in nuclear defense capabilities and first in nuclear defense expenditures among industrialized countries. And it's not even close! But America ranks only . . .
14th in efforts to lift children out of poverty
18th in the percentage of children in poverty
And last (yes, last!) in providing health insurance for all children."

Ben and Jerry were in the Air America Radio studio with Rachel Maddow this morning, explaining how they hope their new American Pie ice cream will strike a blow for rethinking the way the America economic pie is divvied up. In case you've never seen or haven't looked recently at the company's Mission Statement, it's worth remembering that they try to place equal weight on their "product mission" (to make the best and most "euphoric" ice cream they can), "economic mission" (to promote in a "sustainable" way the economic well-being of their owners, investors and employees) and "social mission"—

"to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally & internationally."

Personally, I plan to help the children by buying a pint of that American Pie ice cream as soon as I can get to my supermarket this evening.