News Roundup for 7/13/11

I, for one, welcome our new manatee overlords

-Headline of the day-
"Florida Tea Party Worries about Government's Secret Manatee Conspiracy."

Freedom-lovin' Floridians rejoice! The Tea Party has come to rescue you from the evil clutches of the dreaded and fearsome sea cow, overlords of the commie, one-world UN.

No, seriously.

According to the report, the leader of the Citrus County Tea Party Patriots, one Edna Mattos, told the St. Petersburg Times that the expansion of a local manatee refuge was just part of the UN's plot to take over the world. "We believe that (federal regulators') aim is to control the fish and wildlife, in addition to the use of the land that surrounds this area, and the people that live here and visit...," she said. "As most of us know, this all ties in to the United Nations' Agenda 21 and Sustainability."

Agenda 21 is something 'baggers started freaking out about after the NAFTA Superhighway stubbornly refused to stop being a paranoid fantasy.

"We cannot elevate nature above people," Edna said. "That's against the Bible and the Bill of Rights."

Let me address those two points in reverse order: no it's not and who cares?

We'll worry about what the Bible says when Jesus gets elected. (Mother Jones)


-Maybe we should try something else-
If tax cuts for the rich create jobs...


Click to embiggen

...why aren't they doing it now? (McClatchy)


-Bonus HotD-
"74 Percent Of Republicans Think Deficit Reduction Should Include Tax Increases And Spending Cuts."

Unfortunately, 0% of that 74% hold elected office. (ThinkProgress)