15
We Give Up! We’re Liars!!
Walter E. Williams, the John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics at George Mason University, isn’t your ordinary professor. He’s distinguished. So when he writes a column at Clown Hall titled “Congressional and Leftist Lies,” well, attention must be paid — even if after reading it you want to slam your car at 60 miles per hour into a brick wall.
An important component of the leftist class warfare agenda is to condemn President Bush’s tax cuts for the rich. This claim is careless, ignorant or dishonest.
Whoa, Wally! You mean Bush didn’t give tax cuts to the rich? If you can prove this, then, okay, I’ll grant that you really are distinguished, even if only distinguished at George Mason University.
Article I, Section 8 [of the Constitution] reads, “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes . . .” That means the president has no taxing authority. … The bottom line is that all taxing authority rests with the U.S. Congress. The next time you hear someone condemn or praise Bush’s tax cuts, ask them whether the Constitution has been amended to give the president taxing authority.
Then shout “Bwahahahaha!” and spray Mountain Dew all over them. And when anyone talks about Bush’s “War on Terror” tell ‘em that the Constitution says that only Congress can declare war.
Paddy Mac said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:26
“The bottom line is that all taxing authority rests with the U.S. Congress.”
It sounds as if someone is sliding down a slippery slope, and at the depraved end of said soiled slippery slope, is a hideous blasphemy: the claim that St. Ronald of Reagan never cut taxes! Looking like a distinguished perfesser will be mighty mighty tough with hordes of wingnuts bloviating and wanking before your office door, doc. I’m just sayin’.
Some Guy said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:28
“Class warfare” *eyeroll* Dude, when the peasants storm your mansion, violate your wife, and kill you, chop you up, and feed your medium-rare flesh to the family dog, all the while your children are forced to watch? THAT’S class warfare.* Long live the Third Estate, bitch.
Just because the bill was written by the Bush administration, championed by the Bush administration, and written into law by a congress controlled by Bush’s party, that doesn’t mean it was “Bush’s” tax cut. Bwahahaha!
*Yes, stolen from Al Franken. Neener.
Marco said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:31
Just remember folks, everything that has transpired over the last 6 + years has nothing to do with the sponge currently inhabiting the oval office.
ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:40
I’ve heard that the Constitution is just a piece of paper.
As for GMU, I remember playing there in a few chess tournaments back in the day. Those would be the days in which I played in chess tournaments. And yes, I was a proud member of my high school chess team.
Fly your geek flag…HIGH! (repeat three times.)
KiwiHopeful said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:44
‘The US isn’t a democracy … it’s a republic.’
:puke:
Righteous Bubba said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:57
I left a stumper at Townhall:
Is it worth pointing out that Bush is so hated by so much of the country that people will get mileage out of attaching the name of one of the worst presidents ever to whatever they don’t like?
Lesley said,
November 15, 2007 at 6:59
that’ll have them confused for days R. Bubba.
sidereal said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:06
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/DavidLimbaugh/2006/05/02/time_to_extend_the_bush_tax_cuts
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aredstate.com+%22Bush%27s+tax+cuts
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Atownhall.com+%22Bush%27s+tax+cuts
Dirty lefties
gfw said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:08
Remember James D. Hudnall? He has a wikipedia page:
“His series Harsh Realm was adapted to television by X-Files producer Chris Carter in 1998. Hudnall sued Carter and Fox Television when they failed to give him a credit on the show. The suit was later settled out of court and as part of the settlement Hudnall got his credits, and a large bag of oatmeal raisin cookies.”
I need a citation on that last point.
Stinky Wizzleteats said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:32
But, but… unitary executive…
[head explodes]
noen said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:39
“Remember James D. Hudnall?”
Yes, I’ve been attempting to debate him. Silly me I thought such a thing was possible. The man is bone stupid. He has a new post up that is cut ‘n pasted from Junk Science but Hudnall, he fancies himself an eeen-tell-lect-y’all.
K. Ron Silkwood said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:42
Some leftists want to guillotine him for being a pedantic little prick with an ugly tie. The only thing it has to do with class is his lack of it.
bemused said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:47
Buried in that bullshit is a serious point. When things are going well with a Republican president, it’s a unitary executive, wingtards get all the credit and fuck you if you don’t like it.
When things then go south, as a result of the imperial presidency’s, um, deficiencies, it’s because that damn Congress (now under Democratic control) wouldn’t stop Bush from doing all those things the public now despises.
The argument is breathtaking in its mendacity. First off, of course, it’s heads I win, tails you lose. Second, it banks on, nay, it relies on, the ignorance and willful stupidity of its audience for its success. Of course, given the target audience at Barking Monkey Hall, that is a given, but nevertheless, it’s an amazing amount of audacity and chutzpah.
I expect it to be in a Fred Hiatt editorial before the weekend.
noen said,
November 15, 2007 at 7:48
Ah yes, fun and games with statistics. In country where 70% believe in angels and over 50% believe in a young Earth you can get away with just about anything. Actually, Bush has proved you can just make up shit and lie to Americans faces and they’ll still get on their knees and beg to blow you.
Leonard Pierce said,
November 15, 2007 at 8:47
I’m just amazed the guy got through a whole column without doing his patented “Now I know what you’re saying. You’re saying ‘Williams, are you saying…’” schtick.
noen said,
November 15, 2007 at 8:50
“Now I know what you’re saying. You’re saying ‘Williams, are you saying…’”
Is that official wanker speech? I bet it is. Probably encoded at the genetic level.
cowalker said,
November 15, 2007 at 8:50
What? Was this untrue?
“After all, the Congressional Budget Office recently confirmed that President Bush’s 2003 tax-cut package has been wildly successful.”
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed071506b.cfm
I don’t get it. Walter Williams wants to disavow the tax cuts? When did it stop being wildly successful? Uh-oh. Something ugly is coming down the economic pipes. It’s going to reflect badly on whoever thought that lowering taxes always results in increased revenues. There’s going to be a painful correction that is going to make Bush’s “economic policies” look like self-serving idiocy.
Walter Williams: “George W. Bush had no influence on U.S. tax policies. It was the Congress that was hell-bent on lowering tax rates for the rich. Stop LOOKING AT ME!”
Stinky Wizzleteats said,
November 15, 2007 at 9:00
I actually wouldn’t be surprised if this were analytically true. But notice that this is about the fraction of total income taxes. Increase inequality between the top 1% and the other 99% (as has happened over that interval), and you can drop the % of their income they pay while increasing the % of the total income taxes that come from them.
IM said,
November 15, 2007 at 9:40
“And when anyone talks about Bush’s “War on Terror” tell ‘em that the Constitution says that only Congress can declare war.”
Of course, the joke is on us.
kiki said,
November 15, 2007 at 10:16
That clown is FUCKING TERRIFYING.
Some Guy said,
November 15, 2007 at 10:46
kiki said,
November 15, 2007 at 10:16
“That clown is FUCKING TERRIFYING.”
Redundant statement of the week. All clowns are terrifying.
Moxie said,
November 15, 2007 at 11:32
Actually, the most ignorant line in the column was the bit at the end, where Walt declares that $345,000 a year “isn’t even yacht money.”
Dude, you can buy a hell of a lot of boat for a whole lot less than that. I know, I’ve looked. I’m still looking, as a matter of fact. The plan is to sail as far away from W.E. Williams as possible. With luck, I’ll find a country where “townhall” is not a synonym for “insane asylum.”
In other news, did you know that Christians are funnier than non-Christians?
Outside The Tent said,
November 15, 2007 at 14:21
[...] if this bit of distraction doesn’t work, just go read my latest post about a Clown Hall clown over at S,N! Permalink No [...]
kiki said,
November 15, 2007 at 15:17
“kiki said,
November 15, 2007 at 10:16
“That clown is FUCKING TERRIFYING.”
Redundant statement of the week. All clowns are terrifying.”
Of course, the obvious comeback is “And the guy in make-up behind him is pretty scary too.”
But yes, it’s like whoever invented clowns had some kind of machine that could read the minds of sleeping children and display their most horrific nightmares on a big screen.
Legalize said,
November 15, 2007 at 16:15
That man should be arrested for wearing that tie.
Pere Ubu said,
November 15, 2007 at 16:38
These clowns (not the face-painted ones, either) read the Constitution like they read the Bible – they’ll read it literally when a literal reading benefits their position, figuratively when THAT benefits their position, and ignoring the parts they just don’t like. And any of these categories can change at any moment!
So all of Revelations must be read literally, except for the part about the ten-headed monster rising out of the sea. Likewise the Consitution must be read in the spirit of the Founders, except for the 2nd Amendment which allows personal ownership of any armament you can afford, regardless of the fact that it was written for a culture with muzzle-loading black powder weapons.
Smiling Mortician said,
November 15, 2007 at 16:47
hordes of wingnuts bloviating and wanking before your office door
I saw that movie. It was scarier than the one with clowns.
EK said,
November 15, 2007 at 17:56
Glenn Greenwald has a bit on another GMU professor over at Salon.
/Mason grad.
Hysterical Woman said,
November 15, 2007 at 18:51
Sounds like the libertarian idea that OMG Taxes are illegal!
Rufus said,
November 15, 2007 at 20:59
Leftist Class Warfare Agenda:
1. Condemn President Bush’s tax cuts for the rich
2. Kill and eat anyone with more than 1 million dollars in assets
3. Profit!!!!!
Batocchio said,
November 15, 2007 at 21:29
Goddam, that’s some stupid shit.
He glosses over that GOP Congress we had too, doesn’t he?
x_eleven said,
November 15, 2007 at 23:40
“I’ve heard that the Constitution is just a piece of paper.”
You would be wrong about that. It’s actually a goddamned piece of paper — the same piece of paper that His Bushness swore to uphold, not once, but twice.
I guess this means that he takes the Third Commandment as seriously as his oath of office?
RobW said,
November 16, 2007 at 0:11
Isn’t that the one about quartering troops in our homes?
Righteous Bubba said,
November 16, 2007 at 20:15
Isn’t that the one about quartering troops in our homes?
Quartering leaves them too large for the cooking pot and is just a bad idea.
kenga said,
November 17, 2007 at 1:13
Hey Rufus – that’s actually a functional business plan. I mean, it would work, and there’s no “?????” requiring a leap of faith. Which, I thought, was the funny part.
Or is this an RFP thing?