News Roundup for 10/22/10

Republican plan for Social Security

-Headline of the Day-
"Right After Calling For Social Security Privatization, GOP Senate Candidate Claims To Oppose Privatization."

Let's get one thing straight, OK? Republicans don't want to privatize Social Security. Republicans just want to create private accounts people can use to invest their private Social Security funds with private firms. There's a difference -- the Republican way of putting it has more words. See, this is important because -- as the recent market meltdown demonstrates -- having all your retirement money invested in the market would be insane beyond words.

No one has demonstrated the rhetorical gymnastics GOPers are forced to perform when talking about privatization better than Oregon senate candidate Jim Huffman. During a debate with incumbent Ron Wyden, Huffman said "he hasn't argued for privatizing Social Security, literally one sentence after calling for the creation of private accounts," according to the report.

"I have argued for allowing newcomers to the Social Security system to have the option of private accounts," he said. "I have not argued for privatizing the Social Security system. There s nothing in the record that would uphold that argument."

Now I'm not saying Jim Huffman thinks voters are stupid, I'm just saying that stupid is what Jim Huffman thinks voters are. (Think Progress, with video)


-Fixing history-
What if gays practiced the same sort of historical revisionism that the right has been practicing?



"They will ride into space like big gay cossacks gaying their way across the eastern steppes! We will bury you! Bury you in gayness!"

The Texas Board of Education would explode. (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal)


-Bonus HotD-
"Justice Clarence Thomas was 'obsessed' with porn, former girlfriend says."

Yeah, I don't think that apology from Anita Hill is going to happen. (Raw Story)