News Roundup for 10/11/11

100% dumb

-Headline of the Day-
"About those '53 percent.'"

You might've heard that some "conservative activists" [read "paid corporate whores"] have put together a site they call We are the 53%. Erick Erickson is one of the brainiacs behind this thing and, since he's a clown, it's all very stupid. Basically, it's a way to make fun of another blog -- We are the 99% -- where people share stories about how they're either barely getting by or are not getting by at all. This seems the obvious thing to do, because these 99-percenter stories are all from people who've been wrongfully evicted or developed cancer or had their jobs shipped overseas or had their better-paid spouse die on them. Since conservatives are assholes, they're going to kick these people when they're down. And get a good chuckle out of it at the same time.

Anyhoo, as I said, it's all very stupid. Many of the people on the site claiming to be the 53% (i.e., people who pay income tax) clearly aren't, but aren't smart enough to figure that out. In other cases, they're chumps who are getting fucked ("I work 60 hours a week on a salary that pays me for 45 hours"), but think it's somehow "unamerican" to try to do anything to get unfucked. These are deeply, deeply dumb people.

But, as I said, Erick-Erick is a clown, so a big part of the fun comes from his story of hardship (he's a professional pundit and a CNN contributor); "I work three jobs. I have a house I can’t sell. My family insurance costs are outrageous. But I don’t blame Wall Street. Suck it up you whiners. I am the 53% subsidizing you so you can hang out on Wall Street and complain."

To which Steve Benen responds that this is all crap. It's "rather foolish" to argue Erick-Erick works three jobs and, even if he did, it'd be even crazier to say it was because he has to. Not blaming Wall Street for a weak housing market caused by securitized debt in the form of "toxic assets" is even crazier. And, of course, his "family insurance costs" are something Erick-Erick literally gets paid to keep high, by virtue of being a professional opponent of healthcare reform. In short, Erick-Erick is -- as I keep saying over and over -- a freakin' clown. At this point, saying he's a hack would be giving him too much credit.

What Benen doesn't point out -- and I'm surprised he doesn't -- is that Erik-Erik and all these bobbleheads on his site just spent the last three years bitching about the economy. But now that someone comes along and places the blame where it belongs... Why, there's nothing wrong with the economy! Everything's great! Stop whining! (this "reasoning" is rampant on the right; see my handy infographic here)

"If there are any actual 'whiners' in this scenario," Benen asks, "shouldn't the label go to millionaires who shudder at the idea of paying Clinton-era tax rates?"

Yes. Yes it should. Quit your bitching, Erick-Erick, and pull your goddam weight. (Political Animal)


-Why the wingnuts don't love Mittens-


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And let's not even get started on their whole "save Medicare from being slashed by Obamacare/slash Medicare!" thing. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"Conservative Fundraiser Wants To 'Clear K Street Of Protesters' By Hitting 'A Few With A Car.'"

Nathan Wurtzel is also a clown. (ThinkProgress)

News Roundup for 10/5/11

Rep. Steve King believes there's just way too much voting going on in America

-Headline of the Day-
"Rep. Steve King Pines for the Days When Only Male Property Owners Voted."

A high-ranking member of the House Conservative Moron Caucus, Rep. Steve King, used his time on a hearing on a Balanced Budget Amendment to long for the good ol' days when only male property owners could vote.

"As I roll this thing back and I think of American history, there was a time in American history when you had to be a male property owner in order to vote," Steve said. "The reason for that was, because they wanted the people who voted -- that set the public policy, that decided on the taxes and the spending -- to have some skin in the game."

See people who rent or are women don't have that "skin in the game," because "47 percent of American households don't pay taxes, 51 percent of American wage-earners don't have an income tax liability." According to the report, "King made the disclaimer that he was only making 'a historical observation' about the era of property-owner-only voting, but the rest of his dialogue made it seem as though he thought the Founding Fathers might have been on to something."

Here's the problem with his "historical observation" -- it's not historically accurate. Or, at least, apt. The income tax didn't actually exist until 1861, when it was first implemented to pay for the Civil War. The only people running around in stockings and powdered wigs at that point were lunatics, not founders.

The thing is that the only people in the US nowadays who aren't paying taxes are those who never make or spend money. Everyone has "skin in the game" and if King wants to pretend that the only tax in America is the income tax, then its his prerogative as an American to pretend he's an even bigger idiot than he already is. (Crooks and Liars, with video)


-Meanwhile, in the corporate penthouse...-


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He probably already does. (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"IBM Projects It Will Have World’s Most Powerful Supercomputer in Two Years, Artificial Human Brain in 10."

Can you speed that artificial brain project up a bit guys? Steve King needs one now. (Talking Points Memo)