Your federal family

Don't say big government folks are without family values. Here's the headline of a late-August press release from FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency: "TROPICAL STORM IRENE: Overview of Federal Family's Preparations and Response."

Al Gore may have started this when he was vice president in 1999: In response to Midwest floods he pronounced that "the federal family is committed to providing the necessary resources to comfort every person and family devastated by this disaster." George W. Bush's FEMA used the term occasionally, but the Obama FEMA used it dozens of times in relation to Hurricane Irene alone. Examples: "The entire federal family is leaning forward to support our state, tribal, and territorial partners along the East Coast," and "The entire federal family continues to lean forward to support the states in their ongoing response efforts."

Such leaning forward reminds me of the story that starts with a farm mom looking out the window. She sees the family cow eating grass and her daughter talking with a strange man. The mom furiously yells out the window, "Didn't I tell you not to talk to strangers? You come in this house right now." The girl offers a protest: "But Mama, this man says he's a United States senator." The wise mother replies, "In that case, come in this house right now, and bring the cow in with you."