Return of the Pleasure Police

First an international caveat on caviar, now a fatwa against foie gras? That's what Rep. Brendan Williams of Olympia says: he's introduced legislation to ban the force-feeding of birds. Never mind that most American foie gras is produced out-of-state, by a French family (of course) in upstate New York, Williams is against it.

Williams admits he did eat foie gras once, but tells the Everett Herald he didn't know where it came from. (Right, and Clinton didn't inhale.)

Shocked, shocked he was to learn it involved gavage, overfeeding to enlarge the duck's liver, a centuries-old practice that engenders modern outrage when applied to animals but remains enshrined as freedom-of-choice when it comes to Twinkies, Big Macs and venti double-chocolate-chip Frappuccino. 750 calories, mind you, even without the extra whipped cream.

Gavage with softened grain has been practiced since Egyptian times as winter approaches to encourage the natural accumulation of fat in the goose's liver. And the fat of birds--chickens, ducks, geese--played an important role in Jewish households through the centuries; you can't keep kosher without it.

By the way, there are some ghastly alternatives to foie gras out there for the PC crowd, made with mushrooms and tofu. Be our guest.