Pence: "obviously nuts," "crackpot," and "really stupid."

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/026873.php

PENCE'S PRIORITIES.... As ridiculous as this might seem, Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, the outgoing chairman of the House Republican caucus, is thinking about seeking higher office, including a possible presidential campaign. To that end, he continues to talk about economic policy as if he understands the subject.

For example, Pence delivered a speech earlier this week at the Detroit Economic Club, in which he endorsed a flat-tax proposal, embraced the gold standard, and said the successful rescue of the American automotive industry was a bad idea.

Reflecting on Pence's remarks, Bruce Bartlett, a former official in the Reagan and H.W. Bush administrations, described the speech as "a hackneyed rehash of every simplistic idea ever floated on Larry Kudlow's TV show." Bartlett also used phrases like "obviously nuts," "crackpot," and "really stupid."

This morning, Pence followed up on this performance by appearing on MSNBC, arguing that the unemployed benefit from income tax cuts, despite the fact that those without jobs don't have an income.

On MSNBC's Morning Joe today, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) said that while he is "deeply sympathetic" to the plight of the unemployed, "we've got to make the cuts necessary to offset those costs." During the interview, Pence claimed that Republicans are "anxious to support" struggling Americans, "particularly in the holiday season." However, asked whether he would accept a compromise that paid for unemployment benefits by allowing tax cuts to expire only on income over $1 million, Pence insisted that the jobless are better off swallowing tax cuts for the very rich than receiving immediate relief.

Pressed further on his priorities by Time's Mark Halperin, Pence awkwardly joked that he's "not good at chess," before falling back on his talking points. "I think the minimum that we have to do right now for Americans that are struggling in unemployment in this economy is make sure that no American sees a tax increase," he said.

To fully appreciate the stupidity of the display, it's worth watching the video. The printed words just don't do it justice.

Watching this morning's exchange, I'm reminded of something Matt Yglesias wrote last year about the Indiana congressman. "Mike Pence is a moron, and any movement that would hold the guy up as a hero is bankrupt," Matt explained, adding, "I would refer you to this post from September about the earth-shattering ignorance and stupidity of Mike Pence.... {I}t's really staggering. In my admittedly brief experience talking to him, his inability to grasp the basic contours of policy question was obvious and overwhelming."

Remember, Pence is not only thinking about a presidential campaign, in September, he won the Family Research Council's Values Voter presidential straw poll.

—Steve Benen

[Enrique]

1. Pence is a RW talk radio hero

a lot like Michele Bachmann but he has managed to make it into the GOP leadership.

[gratuitous]

4. And for some reason, he's one of the go-to commenters for the networks

I hate seeing Pence's insipid mug on the news, blathering some nonsense and being accorded a deference and a credibility far above any due his nitwit pronouncements.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Unlike Palin, this asshat is a genuine threat to the Presidency in 2012.

[Bozita]

3. more...

What possible presidential hopeful Mike Pence got wrong in his speech to Detroit Economic Club
Published: Monday, November 29, 2010, 5:00 PM Updated: Monday, November 29, 2010, 6:47 PM
Darrell Dawsey

-snip-

Yeah, that's just what we need as we look for answers to everything from the dismantling of our manufacturing infrastructure to the crumbling of our roads — another distracting, GOP-fueled culture war.

But it's not just the tired, obvious gropes for cliched themes like "morality" that annoy me. Part of the problem, at least to me, is also that guys like Pence tend to place issues such as "morality" in some supernatural sphere far and away from the day-to-day realities of regular Americans. It never seems to translate into anything meaningful on the ground.

You want to talk morality? Then how about we talk about the morality of trying to deny extensions in unemployment benefits to millions of jobless Americans? Or the morality of, after thwarting those benefits extensions, trying to defend continued tax cuts for a handful of gazillionaires? What of the morality of siding with financiers who pay themselves big bonuses with taxpayer dough? Or the morality of doing the bidding of banks and mortgage companies that toss hard-working people into the streets to cover their own wheeling and dealing on Wall Street?

We don't need Pence's religion. We don't need his "traditional family values." We need just what he chose to downplay, a shift in the irrational and horribly skewed economic policies that are widening the gulf between rich and poor and stripping away our ability to produce anything of value. After all, where's the morality in that?

-snip-

more...
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/11/what_mike_pence_got_wrong_in_h.html

[babylonsister]

6. Thanks for that link; excellent! Pence reminds me of

idiot son; he's just as dumb and has the potential to be just as dangerous.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. I am beginning to believe that all repukes have been exposed to some sort of brain eating virus.

There are some dems who may have caught it as well..

Kind of "Invasion of the Brain Snatchers"