Talking Point Smackdown — Honeybees!
One of the resident wingnuts brought up a portion of the recovery package that is supposed to support honeybees — of course, you consider the source and presume that you are dealing with more manufactured outrage over something silly. Little did I know. Yesterday evening, I found out exactly what she was talking about (column by Michael Hiltzik in the LA Times):
What in heaven’s name does Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have against honeybees?
That question haunted my days after I saw the Kentucky Republican on TV fulminating about a provision he found in the proposed government stimulus package. The provision, he said, would provide $150 million for “honeybee insurance.”
“This is nonsense,” he said, as if he took it personally. You had to think he got stung as a kid or maybe caught a local swarm in the act of recruiting aphids for Al Qaeda.
So I resolved to get to the bottom of this scandalous expenditure.
Hiltzik provides some more background here, so make sure you go read it all, but here is the good part:
That brings us to McConnell and his problem with “honeybee insurance.” It turns out that the Senate minority leader took his cue from Neil Cavuto of Fox News, who has been carrying on about the topic for more than a week. Their campaign was joined Tuesday by Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), who stood on the floor of the chamber challenging “any member to come and explain what that provision was.”
I’m no senator, but I’m pleased to inform Vitter that it is, in fact, a disaster insurance program for all livestock producers. Beekeepers obviously would be minor beneficiaries next to, say, cattle ranchers, so it’s a tad bit dishonest to label the whole program “honeybee insurance.”
The provision simply continues a program enacted by Congress last year, overriding a veto by President Bush. In other words, the Senate voted on it twice in 2008 — once to enact and once to override. Connoisseurs of political comedy will see the punch line coming: McConnell and Vitter voted yea both times.
So McConnell voted for the bees before he voted against the bees. Which, of course, is further evidence that McConnell and his caucus are playing games with Americans again.
Tags: American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, Republican Bamboozlement
Cassandra’s using facts again.
Oh man, this is going to get a lot of buzz!
*rimshot*
McConnell and his caucus are playing games with Americans again.
Shocking!
This one time, when I was at the hated NEA, the Chairman compared the NEA budget to what goes out to the Honeybee interests and it started a shit storm.
You would have thought that she (Jane Alexander) said that the virgin Mary was a whore.
If nothing else, and I emphasize the “IF,” this goes to show how much of these bills are actually read for the cause-effect contained therein. Either McConnell and Vitter didn’t pay attention the first time and read it now (as a blustering minority), or vice-versa.
I’m still wrapping my head around Judd Gregg voting to abolish the Department of Commerce, which he is now planning on leading. The Gregg appointment looks really bad to me.
Smitty,
OR they’re lying and exaggerating for effect.
Just when I stop having heart burn about something UI brings it back up.
It is an uncanny talent that you have.
Yes, they’re doing that [lying and exaggerating for effect]. But the underlying complaint remains legitimate — how does that create jobs? It’s a worthy program, but why is it now a “stimulus” when last year it was simply “spending”?
I’m with Smitty. I don’t think these guys have a clue on what they’re voting for/against.
Jason,
It’s a gift.
Speaking of heartburn, the latest jobless numbers are out.
Unemployment (U3) up to 7.6%, -598,000 jobs. 2008 numbers revised down -311,000. We’ve lost 2.5M jobs over the past 5 months.
I’m on it, UI. That post will appear in approx. 10 minutes. Didn’t want to step on Cassandra’s Republicans like egg on their face post!
I’m starting to believe that the conservatives can only digest sound bites. Full-blown ideas and reasoning are just too much for their wittle-ittle minds to comprehend.
And I’m being serious!
….unless they’re playing politics by playing dumb.
I hope the honey producers get more than the cattlemen…..afterall, honey bees are dying by the tens of thousands for some, so far, inexplicable reason(s). If the honey bees don’t pollinate there will be a major food shortage………
I’m starting to believe that the conservatives can only digest sound bites. Full-blown ideas and reasoning are just too much for their wittle-ittle minds to comprehend.
And I’m being serious!
….unless they’re playing politics by playing dumb.
*
Considering the seeming low mental acuity of much of their base….the answer is clearly a cross of both the obtuse and pretensical.
Deliberately nosediving into the abyss.
how does that create jobs? It’s a worthy program, but why is it now a “stimulus” when last year it was simply “spending”?
Good questions. Boosting these disaster insurance programs may not have much bang for the buck. But availability of this insurance in current disaster counties or emergency areas may make a difference in spring season loans for livestock producers. But I don’t know where or how many of these areas might be so no idea how effective it might be in getting funds into farmer’s hands.