Welcome to a dreary Monday open thread. What can we do to brighten your day? Perhaps an open thread will work?
Bachmann, who is by most measures stark raving mad, didn’t disappoint. Given the national spotlight, again, the Republican extremist made a variety of ridiculous. To its credit, “Face the Nation” published a sort-of fact-check piece online after the program.
“[N]ow we have the federal government taking over ownership or control of 51 percent of the American economy. This is stunning. Prior to September of 2008, 100 percent of the private economy was private.”
Ms. Bachmann offered no facts to back up her assertion that the government owns or controls 51 percent of the U.S. economy.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis data since 1929, the highest percentage of government spending as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product was during World War II when government spending was 47.9 percent (in 1944). The lowest level of government spending as a percent of GDP was 9 percent in 1929 at the outset of the Great Depression.
At no time during this period was the United States’ GDP 100 percent private.
The TV news is not about informing anymore, it’s only about ratings. I assume they think Bachmann will bring her flying monkey brigade to watch the show.
Speaking of fact-free lunatics, Palin spoke at the “conservative Woodstock” event in Nevada. She loves the Constitution, but hates Constitutional law professors.
In her speech at the rally, Sarah Palin of course paid homage to the Constitution. “Our vision for America is anchored in time-tested truths that the government that governs least governs best, that the Constitution provides the path to a more perfect union — it’s the Constitution,” she exclaimed. And so it’s extremely puzzling that Palin introduced this new attack line against President Obama yesterday:
In these volatile times when we are a nation at war, now more than ever is when we need a commander-in-chief, not a constitutional law professor lecturing us from a lectern.
Ironically, the crowd cheered wildly at Palin’s line. Watch it:
She’s saying to the crowd he thinks he’s smarter than you.