Where did the republicans dig up this dimwit?

They've shelved addressing illegal immigration, but they want to ban old horses from being used as dog food?

WASHINGTON — The House voted on Thursday to ban the slaughter of horses for meat, a practice that lawmakers thought they already had ended.

Instead of banning it outright, Congress last year yanked the salaries and expenses of federal inspectors. But the Bush administration simply started charging plants for inspections, and the slaughter has continued.

The House vote was 263-146 to outlaw the killing of horses for human consumption.

Opponents of the practice showed photographs of horses with bloodied and lacerated faces, the result of being crammed into trailers that would carry the animals to slaughterhouses.

"It is one of the most inhumane, brutal, shady practices going on in the U.S. today," said Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., a sponsor of the ban.

Lest you think that John Sweeney has all his faculties about him, dig this:

Sweeney argued that the slaughter of horses is different from the slaughter of cattle and chickens because horses are American icons.

"Everyone knows who Mr. Ed, Secretariat and Silver are. I dare anyone to name a list of famous cattle or chickens," Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., said in recent testimony to a House subcommittee.

"They are American icons that deserve to be treated as such. Would we ever think of slaughtering and serving a bald eagle in this country? The same should be true of the horse," Sweeney said.

So, Mr. Sweeney, should we stop the slaughter of pigs because of Porky or Arnold? What about Foghorn Leghorn, or Elsie the Cow?

What the hell have you been smoking, Mr. Sweeney?

I don't know, perhaps I'm being a bit hard on Mr. Sweeey--I'd expect such lamebrain reasoning from Barbara Boxer or even from Barbra Streisand.... but from a Republican?

Don't get me wrong--I'm for the humane treatment of animals, but humane treatment in the absence of common sense is altogether another story:

We have serious concerns that the welfare of these horses would be negatively impacted by a ban on slaughter," Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said in a letter released Thursday.

Defenders of horse slaughter said it offers a cheap and humane way to end a horse's life when the animal no longer is useful. They say many owners cannot afford to care for an unproductive horse.

"These unwanted horses are often sick, unfit or problem animals," said Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn. "Many of them are already living in pain or discomfort, and tens of thousands more could be neglected, starved or abandoned if their owners no longer have processing available as an end-of-life option."

American horse meat is sold mostly for people to eat in Europe and Asia; some goes to U.S. zoos.

If the slaughter ended in the U.S., plants in Canada and Mexico probably would take over some of the business, supporters say. Unlike other countries, U.S. law requires that horses and other livestock be unable to feel pain before they are killed.

The chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, GOP Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, said that for some horses, "these facilities provide a humane alternative to additional suffering or possible dangerous situations."

Like so many liberal "feelgood" initiatives, this bill, like the road to hell, is paved with good intentions with untold unintended consequences.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't there more pressing concerns for Congress to deal with?