Typical elitist economist
-Headline of the day-
"Clinton dismisses 'elite' economists on gas tax plan."
That "gas tax plan" would be the pandering "tax holiday" idea that Hillary stole from John McCain. And those "elite" economists?
Yeah, apparently all economists are elitists. Because, as far as I can find, there isn't a single one that thinks it's a good idea. Clinton's plan differs from McCain's in that it imposes a windfall profits tax on oil companies to make up lost revenues, but anyone who thinks George W. Bush is ever going to sign that is freakin' crazy.
Besides, given the GOP's new rule that every tax break must be permanent or it becomes a tax increase, Hillary's handing ammo to the Republicans. Once that "tax holiday" ends and it's time to reinstitute the gas tax, GOPers would shriek "Democrats want to raise your taxes!! EEK!!!" And those histrionics would happen right before the elections.
Brilliant. Not only is it base pandering and fiscally irresponsible, but it's not the smartest strategy anyone ever came up with.
I guess you've got to count me in as an elitist -- and I'm not even an economist -- because I think it's plain as day that this is a really stupid idea.
What can we learn from this story? That focus groups find the word "elite" really scary and that, from now on, everything and everyone who criticizes Clinton or makes her look bad will be called "elitist."
Damned elitist cappuccino machines... (Reuters, via reddit)
-The voters won't play along-
The media's been working overtime trying to get everyone to FREAK THE FUCK OUT! over the fact that Barack Obama knows the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. But, for all the hard work they've done trying to get us to wet our pants every time we see the clips, a new poll shows that we're just not getting the message.
Not that it isn't shaping our perceptions. According to the report, "While just 24 percent of voters said they thought the Reverend Wright issue would matter a lot or some to them in the fall, 44 percent said it would matter a lot or some to 'most people you know.'" In other words, it won't change their votes, but they think it'll change everyone else's.
In related news, the poll also shows that "an overwhelming majority of voters said candidates calling for the suspension of the U.S. gasoline tax this summer were acting to help themselves politically, rather than to help ordinary Americans."
Damned elitist ordinary Americans... (International Herald Tribune)
-I guess it's not the best news day for Hillary-
Hillary Clinton is sending out mailers asking, "Where does Barack Obama really stand on guns?"
The problem; "The image of the gun pictured on the face of the mailing is reversed, making it a nonexistent left-handed model of the Mauser 66 rifle."
Making matters worse is that the gun pictured (when it's not reversed) is "an expensive German gun with customized features that make it clearly European." How expensive? About $2,200 expensive or, as dealers refer to guns in that price range, "a rifle an out-of-touch elitist might use."
Says Val Forgett III, president of Navy Arms, of the reversed rifle, "It’s like a picture of Babe Ruth hitting right-handed."
Damned elitist Babe Ruth... (Raw Story)
