CHILD ABUSE: No luck for sixth-graders pleading for WH tour.

Iowa sixth graders begging for their tour of the White House to be rescheduled are out of luck.

Beginning Saturday, all public tours of the White House are canceled, a move administration officials said was necessary after $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts kicked in March 1. Republicans counter that the move was made to maximize public frustration with the cuts.

In response, students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Waverly, Iowa made a video in which they held signs reading, “The White House is our house; please let us visit.” The video went viral Thursday but the White House says the Iowa students, along with all others scheduled for tours after Friday, won’t be accommodated.

Sounds like budgetary hostage-taking to me.