Sunday, October 3, 2010

Ron Johnson Valiantly Reduces the Federal Budget Deficit by 0.000084%

This is the most incomprehensible statement I've heard come from any candidate's mouth this cycle:
Johnson, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, said his opposition to embryonic stem cell research is dictated mainly by economics. The federal government needs to cut $1.5 trillion from its budget, he said, so it makes sense to achieve those cuts by eliminating unpopular programs.

If there's a program "that's morally objectionable to a high percentage of the American public, that's probably something we shouldn't spend money on," Johnson said.
NIH has earmarked $126 million for human embryonic stem cell research in 2011, a chunk of which would flow back to Wisconsin. Johnson's going to need to make lot more hard decisions if he's going to significantly cut the deficit.

The most interesting aspect of this statement is that it couches what is clearly a moral judgment in economic terms so not to appear like a raving religious fanatic whilst simultaneously appealing to raving religious fanatics. A "high percentage of the American public" is another way of saying "not a majority."

Not that any of this should come as any surprise.

7 comments:

Steweeeeee said...

I don't find this incomprehensible. He just sang a familiar chorus to the group of (as you linked to) people who are dead set on this issue. He just let them know fer sure he is Their Boy.
AND!!! He has now turned the heat back up on the goddam Stem Cell Issue. Brought it back to the forefront. It had simmered down some post-Bush. Now, the more it gets talked about the more people who are fired up by they will get fired up. Be all the more convinced Ron is Their Guy. a "free-advertising" issue now for Ron.
This was no budget-blunder IMO, this was Ron's Mating Call to a voting block. The "budget" framing was just crap. 6 guys on the Left will say "hey! that makes no sense", while thousands of anti-stem cell people's eyes will glaze over in a big RoJo-gasm.
Not so incomprehensible in my book. Cagey, shitty, and smart.

BTW
Hope yer doing fine these days,
ya Goddam Stranger <_<
Thanks for the new post. At least I got a scrap to chew on for a minute. Poor Stew
:(

Stew2 said...

lulz.
I was actually agreeing wit chu. XDDDD
doesn't sound like it, does it.
!

Anonymous said...

Great post. Yet another fine example of the illogical attitudes of the GOP: all complaining, no real solutions.

Thanks for the proposed solution Johnson, what's Madison gonna say about their research funding dollars? Only smart business solutions from you, Mr. CEO.

CJ said...

Off topic-

This has been kept very low on the radar screen for quite some time now but keepspercolating back up.

http://deadspin.com/5658206/brett-favres-cellphone-seduction-of-jenn-sterger?skyline=true&s=i

http://deadspin.com/5659474/sources-two-more-women-who-worked-with-jets-received-lewd-texts-from-favre?skyline=true&s=i

CJ said...

more:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=dw-favreinvestigation101110

Jb said...

CJ --

You should read more closely:

Check here and read the date ...

Always be sure to click on the links here at The Chief.

Unknown said...

If the RoJo/Tea Party goal is to save money by axing programs that are "morally objectionable to a high percentage of the American public" then I assume the Dept. of Defense will be first up against the wall. After all, the military is where about half of every dollar the US government takes from us goes, and there is a sizable minority who actually think war is bad policy.