• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Stamping your little feets and demanding that they see how important you are? Not working anymore.

Let’s bury these fuckers at the polls 2 years from now.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Peak wingnut was a lie.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

There are times when telling just part of the truth is effectively a lie.

People are weird.

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

I desperately hope that, yet again, i am wrong.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

When they say they are pro-life, they do not mean yours.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Consistently wrong since 2002

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

If you don’t believe freedom is for everybody, then the thing you love isn’t freedom, it is privilege.

Dear Washington Post, you are the darkness now.

Fight them, without becoming them!

Perhaps you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Politics / Republican Stupidity / What Exactly Are They Studying?

What Exactly Are They Studying?

by John Cole|  November 10, 201012:04 am| 51 Comments

This post is in: Republican Stupidity, Clown Shoes, I Can't Believe We're Losing to These People, Teabagger Stupidity

FacebookTweetEmail

This is destined to be an instant classic. Under pressure to list specific cuts, The Republican Study Committee has announced that they will cut a program that… expired several months ago. So I guess they can throw that in the “Win” column!

Truly awesome. Can’t you just feel the fiscal discipline?

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Having the stupid fight…again.
Next Post: Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

51Comments

  1. 1.

    ItAintEazy

    November 10, 2010 at 12:06 am

    Suggested tag change:

    “I can’t believe we lost to these people.”

  2. 2.

    robertdsc-PowerBook & 27 titles

    November 10, 2010 at 12:13 am

    Goddamned fucking morons.

  3. 3.

    Martin

    November 10, 2010 at 12:14 am

    Next cut: withdrawing all of our troops from Vietnam!

  4. 4.

    Martin

    November 10, 2010 at 12:16 am

    Oh, and TANF was the program that every single governor, including douchebags like Barbour wanted Congress to save. It was the single most cost-effective employment program out there.

  5. 5.

    El Cid

    November 10, 2010 at 12:16 am

    That the program has already (unfortunately) ended (i.e., was destroyed by default) has nothing to do with whether or not Republicans should scream against it.

    What, is reality expected to intrude to Republican planning? Is it likely that the people listening to these rants will doublecheck the basic assertion that the program under fire exists?

    Of course not.

  6. 6.

    Violet

    November 10, 2010 at 12:18 am

    @Martin:

    Next cut: withdrawing all of our troops from Vietnam!

    Withdrawing all our troops from Germany and Japan might actually save money. And that war ended first.

  7. 7.

    RalfW

    November 10, 2010 at 12:19 am

    There is no reality, there are no facts, there are only assertions. Lots and lots of assertions, repeated endlessly, until we all go home and pour over spreadsheets comparing the relative benefits of 5 different trash haulers.

    Or pour 5 fingers of some concoction. Good night.

  8. 8.

    IrishGirl

    November 10, 2010 at 12:25 am

    I don’t “feel” it but I sure do “smell” it.

  9. 9.

    Morbo

    November 10, 2010 at 12:25 am

    Anyone else notice that Haley Barbour conceded that demand side economics works?

  10. 10.

    sherifffruitfly

    November 10, 2010 at 12:27 am

    (shrug) Electorates deserve what electorates vote for (or refuse to help prevent).

  11. 11.

    electricgrendel

    November 10, 2010 at 12:31 am

    Oh my God!! The November election’s results were such a wave that they have caused intention to ripple back through time and nix programs that Republicans are just now thinking of cutting! WIth this newfound power we’ll have the budget under control in no time.

  12. 12.

    Mike Kay (Expletive Deleted)

    November 10, 2010 at 12:33 am

    cuts?

    cuts?

    Well, Boehner did get a vasectomy.

  13. 13.

    electricgrendel

    November 10, 2010 at 12:35 am

    @sherifffruitfly:

    Yep. Which is why there is a very perverse part of me that is going to enjoy the next two years. Americans have consistently chosen to be ruled by the mindless, to punish the sensible and then decry the consequences of doing so. And that’s just the majority that voted. The rest have sat on their asses and then been shocked when their lack of participation brings hell down upon them.

    So- I’m just sort of done being nice about it.

  14. 14.

    Judas Escargot

    November 10, 2010 at 12:36 am

    New tag suggestion: “Smells like fiscal discipline”.

  15. 15.

    General Stuck

    November 10, 2010 at 12:37 am

    Can’t you just feel the fiscal discipline?

    They are filled with religious like fervor fancying themselves on a mission from gawd of sorts. To rescue the realm from glutinous liberals, and I hope everyone understands where this is headed. I doubt Boehner or any other semi sane winger in the House can stop it, even if they wanted to. They are going to play the mother of all games of chicken with Obama, at least with shutting down the government, and truly insanely quite possibly facing off with Obama over raising the national debt ceiling in February next year. And that is very very tricky business, and quite dangerous. Because there are some fairly strict time lines for doing that raising, and even if they are bluffing, dithering around with that requirement could end up being an accidental national suicide, with global consequences.

  16. 16.

    KG

    November 10, 2010 at 12:39 am

    Let me get this straight… there is a government program that has helped create private sector jobs. a program that has been praised by even the most conservative Republican governors. It has expired, meaning there is nothing to cut. some people wanted to renew it, but they didn’t get their way. and the Republicans are saying they are cutting the program as proof that they can be fiscally disciplined?

    I need some more of the Mississippi Mud Black & Tan I was drinking earlier

    +not nearly enough

  17. 17.

    Yutsano

    November 10, 2010 at 12:55 am

    What Exactly Are They Studying

    The philosophy of nuclear physics?

  18. 18.

    IrishGirl

    November 10, 2010 at 12:56 am

    @Judas Escariot – love it!!!! John, what do you think? A new category for wingnut fiscal nonsense? “Smells like fiscal discipline”…If you don’t use it on Balloon Juice, I’ll use it on my blog.

  19. 19.

    kdaug

    November 10, 2010 at 12:58 am

    @General Stuck: Yurp. Let’s dance. The teabaggers will finish what GW started, unless the remaining sane Repubs are able to bring them in line.

    If not, all bets are off. Upside: The ones who will take the biggest financial hit if we default on our debt will be billionaire hedge-fund managers and bankers. But the rest of us are screwed either way. And I, for one, would eat my quota of dog food to see some ex-billionaires whimpering in the streets.

  20. 20.

    arguingwithsignposts

    November 10, 2010 at 12:59 am

    feel the fiscmentum!

  21. 21.

    handy

    November 10, 2010 at 1:01 am

    Man, all we need is the failed drunk back in the White House and it’ll feel just like 2005 again! Awesome times!

  22. 22.

    mclaren

    November 10, 2010 at 1:04 am

    See? The Republicans are already accomplishing their goals. Unless those useless stupid Democrats.

    Here’s a list of suggested cuts the Republicans can make:

    [1] They can cut those inefficient biplanes from the United States Army air corps. Instant savings!

    [2] They can eliminate government subsidies for slaveowners. Not only cuts wasteful Washington spending, but also a big win for human rights!

    [3] They can slash government support for the buggy whip and scrimshaw industries. Big savings there.

    [4] Privatize the whale oil lamp industry. This will not only save tons ‘o bucks, it’ll supercharge American entrepreneurship during this economic downturn!

  23. 23.

    Redshift

    November 10, 2010 at 1:12 am

    @El Cid: Considering they’re still ranting against runaway government spending that doesn’t exist, reality seems unlikely to make an appearance.

  24. 24.

    Redshift

    November 10, 2010 at 1:15 am

    Whenever I hear “Republican Study Committee” I can only think “study group” in the worst sense — a bunch of slackers getting together in hopes that someone smarter will show up so they can copy the answers off him.

    Which, come to think of it, isn’t too far from the truth…

  25. 25.

    asiangrrlMN

    November 10, 2010 at 1:22 am

    I’m too worn out to even properly snark about this. This is the GOP with their serious face on. I weep.

    @Yutsano: Hi, hon. How are you?

  26. 26.

    Platonicspoof

    November 10, 2010 at 1:32 am

    Rand Paul told Elliot Spitzer today that we’ll cut a trillion dollars from the budget by repealing “Obamacare”.
    Spitzer replied that the CBO calculated that much in savings over ten years.

    More of the same on Spitzer getting Paul’s suggested cuts in the rest of the interview, but full transcript not up yet.

    This Livedash link (possible transcript) not working for me.

  27. 27.

    Nellcote

    November 10, 2010 at 1:38 am

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Hey! A big thank you for that Kylie & the Fanboys youtube the other day. Funniest video I’ve seen all year.

  28. 28.

    asiangrrlMN

    November 10, 2010 at 1:43 am

    @Nellcote: This one of Dancing Queen? No problem. Kylie always cheers me right up.

  29. 29.

    Mark S.

    November 10, 2010 at 1:48 am

    If you follow one of the links you learn Rep. McCarthy specified 4 specific programs, including:

    Cutting subsidies for Amtrak sleeper cars: $120 million (0.003 percent of the budget)

    We can keep the tax cuts for the richest 2% now. Hooray!

  30. 30.

    KG

    November 10, 2010 at 1:52 am

    @kdaug: one way this plays out is that the saner portions of the GOP say, “screw it, we can get a majority with the Dems” and ignore the teabaggers. I don’t know if that could actually happen without some statesmanship… and I’m not sure we have much of that left.

  31. 31.

    kdaug

    November 10, 2010 at 2:05 am

    @KG: Nope. That bridge’s been burned. It’s between the baggers and the Repubs now. Let’s see how many of them are psycho enough to let the country slide into default.

    Either way, the Dems wash their hands. Cold comfort, because that shit’s gonna be nasty worldwide.

  32. 32.

    Bill Murray

    November 10, 2010 at 2:14 am

    @Mark S.: that’s probably not Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffet’s tax cut

  33. 33.

    John - A Motley Moose

    November 10, 2010 at 2:41 am

    The Dems need to hammer at this day after day.

    The first program the Republicans singled out to cut was one that helped poor people work at productive jobs. Unfortunately, that program is no longer funded, so there are no savings to be had. However, it is interesting to note who will suffer the most under Republican cuts. More alarmingly, the Republicans are threatening to shut down government, including funding for the military and homeland security, unless rich people keep the 3.5% cut in income tax rates that is set to expire. Oh yeah, that shutdown may also delay or cancel Social Security checks and Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals.

    Today’s GOP – reverse Robin Hood. Take from the poor and give to the rich.

  34. 34.

    Martin

    November 10, 2010 at 2:53 am

    @Bill Murray: Gates and Buffet are both lobbying for higher taxes, including keeping the estate tax.

    It’s just stunning that the GOP can keep pulling this shit year after year.

  35. 35.

    FlipYrWhig

    November 10, 2010 at 3:33 am

    @mclaren:

    [4] Privatize the whale oil lamp industry. This will not only save tons ‘o bucks, it’ll supercharge American entrepreneurship during this economic downturn!

    Keep your Big Government out of my spermaceti!

    @Judas Escargot: Mystical Fiscal? Obfiscation? Let’s Get Fiscal? Fiscal Graffiti? Fiscal Therapy?

  36. 36.

    Dennis SGMM

    November 10, 2010 at 4:46 am

    “Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle merite.”
    (“Every nation has the government it deserves.”)
    -Joseph de Maistre

    America became a fat baby with a fat baby’s simplistic demand for “more” and a fat baby’s inability to understand that sometimes “more” is not good in the long run. The Republicans appeal to the fat baby because the baby is not a deep thinker and has a very short memory.

    More!

  37. 37.

    stuckinred

    November 10, 2010 at 5:16 am

    @Dennis SGMM: Damn, you still up?

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    November 10, 2010 at 5:28 am

    @stuckinred: Happy Birthday!

  39. 39.

    stuckinred

    November 10, 2010 at 5:35 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Thanks! I had forgotten that the Edmund Fitzgerald went down on this date in 75!

  40. 40.

    stuckinred

    November 10, 2010 at 6:03 am

    Sesame Street is produced in the United States by Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children’s Television Workshop (CTW). It premiered on November 10, 1969

  41. 41.

    ppcli

    November 10, 2010 at 6:55 am

    @Violet:
    C’mon you guys. Get with the program. That won’t save any money because wars are free.

  42. 42.

    JPL

    November 10, 2010 at 6:55 am

    @stuckinred: Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you..
    I didn’t need to click on the link above to realize that’s my representative. I’m so proud. Maybe he’ll even end up on Colbert or Stewart for his ability to slash the imaginary budget.

  43. 43.

    SRW1

    November 10, 2010 at 7:21 am

    What Exactly Are They Studying?

    What other programs have expired in the recent past or are about to expire in the near future. They will cut them all, to the absolute bone. Which will have to satisfy the rubes for the time being.

    In 2012 they will then again run against the wasteful spending of bloated bureaucracies because despite all that cutting there’s still going to be a huge deficit. Those tax and spend liberals at the head of all these government departments never give in. It’s kind of an eternal struggle really.

  44. 44.

    Dennis SGMM

    November 10, 2010 at 8:21 am

    @stuckinred:
    I’m an early riser.

  45. 45.

    El Cid

    November 10, 2010 at 9:15 am

    @SRW1:

    In 2012 they will then again run against the wasteful spending of bloated bureaucracies because despite all that cutting there’s still going to be a huge deficit. Those tax and spend liberals at the head of all these government departments never give in. It’s kind of an eternal struggle really.

    Why not? They got away with blaming the housing collapse on undeserving poor people lying for mortgages they couldn’t afford, and the government gave all this to black and Latino people because of Jimmy Carter and the CRA, and Republicans couldn’t overcome Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and Nancy Pelosi even when Republicans had a majority in all both elected branches of government and a Supreme Court majority.

  46. 46.

    chopper

    November 10, 2010 at 10:00 am

    lolz. it’s like you’re unemployed and underwater on your mortgage but you’ll totally balance out your finances by no longer buying that weekly lottery ticket, which you already stopped buying a month ago.

    we are so boned.

  47. 47.

    Joshua

    November 10, 2010 at 10:06 am

    Why can’t he just say he is going to de-fund the NEA or something? That’s always popular with that crowd. It doesn’t matter if it’s true.

  48. 48.

    Ash Can

    November 10, 2010 at 10:11 am

    Hey, I’d just as soon they didn’t have any plans for cost-cutting, because those assholes always cut the wrong things.

  49. 49.

    Mnemosyne

    November 10, 2010 at 11:17 am

    Steve Benen noticed that they’re claiming they would save $25 billion by cancelling a program that cost $2.5 billion.

    Fucking decimals, how do they work?

  50. 50.

    Ab_Normal

    November 10, 2010 at 1:43 pm

    @General Stuck:

    To rescue the realm from glutinous liberals…

    I’ve got celiac, I’m a gluten-free liberal…

  51. 51.

    Nancy Irving

    November 11, 2010 at 2:22 am

    Whether the program still exists or not is irrelevant to GOPers. It’s just a dog-whistling talking-point (“welfare queens!”) that they can continue to use to pander to the tea-baggers.

    Have you noticed that GOPers no longer mention ACORN, because ACORN no longer exists? No? You didn’t notice that?

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - lashonharangue - Along the Zambezi River [2 of 2] 8
Image by lashonharangue (7/8/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • Baud on Goebbels In, Goebbels Out (Open Thread) (Jul 9, 2025 @ 8:56am)
  • Betty Cracker on Goebbels In, Goebbels Out (Open Thread) (Jul 9, 2025 @ 8:52am)
  • artem1s on Goebbels In, Goebbels Out (Open Thread) (Jul 9, 2025 @ 8:51am)
  • tobie on Goebbels In, Goebbels Out (Open Thread) (Jul 9, 2025 @ 8:50am)
  • Central Planning on Goebbels In, Goebbels Out (Open Thread) (Jul 9, 2025 @ 8:50am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!