Rep. Paul Ryan Moves to Repeal Plan to Cover Moon with Yogurt, Saves $5 Trillion!

National Journal has put together a list of the top 22 political quotes of the year. There's blood libel, cake, and a sugar-coated Satan sandwich. And then there's this:

"Let's pass a bill to cover the moon with yogurt that will cost $5 trillion today. And then let's pass a bill the next day to cancel that bill. We could save $5 trillion."
— House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., July 28

Elsewhere in the top 22, a bonus libertarian dairy enthusiast quote from Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas):

"I'm all for raw milk. I think you should make your own choice on whether you drink raw milk or not."
— GOP presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, Dec. 13

Get more Reason on raw milk here, and pick up the upcoming print edition—a space-based special issue!—to get lots of Reason on the moon.

Comments

[Joe M]

Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace.

[Abdul]

I always knew that republicans were in the pocket of Big Yogurt.

[capitol l]

It's the entire D.C. crony-capitalist culture.

[Joe M]

What you did there, etc.

[Yogurt Lobby]

You can't give this valuable market to the Chinese yogurt-military complex! Quick! Get Joe Biden on the phone.

[capitol l]

You yogurt people love Biden. Why?

Is it because he's a regular guy?

[Yogurt]

May the schwartz be with you!

[Little Joey B]

Just a heartbeat away!

[Montani Semper Liberi]

I'm really hoping Ryan was making fun of the way politicians abuse the common understanding of saving money with their cheap accounting tricks, but I've learned to never underestimate the capacity for dishonesty and stupidity among the political class.

[John]

He was making the proper point. I am sure there is something to hate about him. But Ryan does seem to at least understand the concepts of positive and negative.

[Paul]

He definitely understands the stupidity of baseline budgeting.

[Apatheist]

He was. But don't underestimate Ryan it's becoming clear that he is just another big government shithead that is the "future" of the GOP.

[anon]

Yes, he was saying it jokingly during the "deficit crisis*"

* Since the crises is ongoing and unsolved, this term is about useless.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Ryan says that sarcastically, but somewhere in the halls of congress, a senile old white man is earnestly drawing up that yogurt bill and inserting a rider that his district gets to supply the carrier vehicle for the yogurt.

[Hugh Akston]

What a bunch of bland, insipid crap. Those quotes certainly aren't the ponderings of people I am inspired to lend my support to (except for Ron Paul of course, PBUH).

They aren't even funny. But the sad, pathetic wretches in the media who have devoted their miserable lives to covering these twits have to look for ways to make politics appear the least bit relevant to keep despair at bay until happy hour.

The only one that was even noteworthy was this gem from our badass-in-chief:

"Ask Osama bin Laden and the 22-out-of-30 top al-Qaida leaders who've been taken off the field whether I engage in appeasement. Or whoever is left out there, ask them about that."
? Obama, Dec. 8

And that only because of the lulz on deluded chumps who cast their hopeful votes for Pax Obama.

[John]

http://blogs.the-american-inte.....with-iran/

The Mullahs are next. Good thing we didn't elect that war monger McCain.

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Some of the comments over there are insane.

3. Recognize that Great Powers ALWAYS have used great force ? with finality ? to keep the world peaceful and the bad guys from irritating & killing the good guys, nuke their mechanical nuke-building infrastructure, utterly DESTROYING their ability to make nukes in the foreseeable future at almost ZERO cost in dollars and ZERO cost in Information Age lives ? and put-up with fewer economic and terror consequences (more attacks, Hormuz closed, etc.) due to the overwhelming nature of a true 'shock and awe' and the fact that the West will ? FINALLY ? have said, 'enough is enough and we'll do it again if we need to.'

[Lost_In_Translation]

He forgets the end of the story for all those Great Powers, ignomy and collapse.

Its forever and always how those games end.

[John]

No. Great powers collapse when they no longer have the optimism, will and ability to do those kinds of things. Peaceful nations either collaborate with big violent ones or get crushed. The world is an evil rotten place.

[Lost_In_Translation]

While I can't quantify the optimism in previous empires, certainly keeping them together strained the purse of the originating country until they finally retreated back to their cores.

While I doubt America will split apart, eventually our wanton spending will crush our currency and people will personally suffer (as they can no longer afford goods and services). I imagine in that situation, optimism probably would be low...

[John]

If the Mullahs ever pulled off a big terrorist attack on this country, I would imagine the feeling would be quite common if it is not already.

The US is really a violent dangerous country full of pretty rough people. Why people feel the need to fuck with it is beyond me. How stupid does Adminijad or whatever his name is or Chavez have to be to keep calling for destruction of the US. This country scares me and I am one of them.

[Timon19]

Bedwetting at its finest.

The current Iranian regime may be crazy, but they're not suicidal. Being a shrieking harpy about how mean the US is is NOT the same thing as actually attacking it in any meaningful way.

[John]

Sure it is not. But shockingly enough, some people actually mean what they say. To think otherwise and thinking "he can't really mean that" is just stupid. Yeah, he may actually mean that. People said it and meant it before.

[Lost_In_Translation]

One would hope our leaders are intelligeant and informed enough to tell the difference, but the way the candidates speak sounds like they think the answer is simply raining death down upon those that threaten us without regard to the reputational and human cost of such an action. Candidates are being irresponsible throwing out absolutes like that. It is not self-evident that Iran will attack us or israel (directly John, directly) and promoting this idea of publicly playing the world strongman just enrages those that could be bought off more cheaply.

[Timon19]

So because sometimes people act on crazy bluster, leaders of important nations who like to maintain power above all else will do something that will almost certainly end up in their demise?

I think the more likely scenario is that the Obama administration (or a Romney one) would be retarded enough to actually attack Iran (because the stakes FOR THEM are so much lower than the other way around).

[TrickyVic]

"" think the more likely scenario"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpP7b2lUxVE

[TrickyVic]

""But shockingly enough, some people actually mean what they say. ""

But that's generally not true of politicians. Right?

[Myron Palmer]

Is it true that when a politician says "Nay" she really means "Aye"?

[TrickyVic]

""How stupid does Adminijad or whatever his name is or Chavez have to be to keep calling for destruction of the US.""

Yawn...

Words are just words. Action is action. We are the nation claiming we can drop bombs on anyone anywhere when a secret panel decides a person in their country should be killed. And we are doing so.

[Timon19]

I made it about that far before I ran away from the crazy place.

[Joe M]

...ZERO cost in Information Age lives...

Wow. Just, wow.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Krugman should be happy. War is both Keynesian and opportunities for full employment.

If we go to war with Iran before the election, that would be a nice convenient bump for Obama.

[Appalachian Australian]

An Iranian nuclear strike should provide plenty of "shovel ready" radiation decontamination, construction, and hospice-care jobs.

I hear Japan's economy is booming after the Fukushima disaster.

[capitol l]

Jesus Hugh, you're right. That was a big waste of time. It's almost as if the members of the fourth estate want to turn every phrase uttered by the political class as something historical, or memorable, or a gaffe.

And people wonder why the only defining characteristic of the early 21st century American politician is their homogeny.

[John]

Yeah but they make up for it by being silly and ignorant.

[Hugh Akston]

"Don't let their identical DNA fool you, they differ on some key issues."

[BakedPenguin]

"I say your $.03 titanium tax goes too far!"
"And I say your $.03 titanium tax doesn't go too far enough!"

[Paul]

And that only because of the lulz on deluded chumps who cast their hopeful votes for Pax Obama

Pax Obama is 100% legit. Bodycount, Hugh, body count. Don't know if you've been paying attention, but they've resurrected the Clinton-era "body count" argument.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Ask not what wall your country can tear down for you, ask what day will live in infamy!"

President Fist of Etiquette, January 2016

[Fist of Etiquette]

(I don't know why that showed up as a reply to Paul, or why I apparently seize power from President Romney a year before his term is up.)

[H man]

You had to seize power for the good of the people of the greatest nation on Earth.

[Paul]

You had to seize power to destroy it. You're a true libertarian.

[R C Dean]

FoE, as the surprise VP who energized the campaign, you naturally succeeded when ROMNIAC suffered an unfortunate accident.

[Insert scare quotes as needed.]

[Hugh Akston]

Shockingly, I have not been paying attention. Please be so kind as to elucidate, sir.

[Paul]

http://reason.com/archives/201.....nt_2669163

[Hugh Akston]

Well that was sickening. You'd think Tony's Team Blue cheerleader outfit would be too stained to salvage anymore. But then you would be underestimating the might of partisan delusion.

[Heroic Mulatto]

You forgot to post the video.

[Russ 2000]

Almost as good as Sam Zell suing himself.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/.....2883.story

[Anomalous]

All the milk for these programs comes from the government teat.

[John]

White House refuses to give up details of Queen Michelle's "private vacation". Insert beard joke here.

http://www.latimes.com/news/po.....?track=rss

[Warty]

The secrecy makes sense. It would be very embarassing if it came out that Michelle prefers white bulls.

[TrickyVic]

Humm, Where's Robert De Niro?

[Montani Semper Liberi]

Ruth Bessinger, 45, who recently moved into the neighborhood, said she was excited to have caught the first lady's glance as the motorcade returned home one day. She looked at one of the passing cars, realized she was staring straight at Michelle Obama through the window, and smiled and waved. She said she was delighted when the first lady smiled and waved in return.

barf

[Appalachian Australian]

Bessinger said she has one regret: she was holding bag from McDonald's. Knowing the first lady is a stickler about nutrition, she said she felt a bit "embarrassed.''

Comrade, the watchful eye of the Commissar of Wellness is always watching.

[TrickyVic]

That's ok, McDonald's has cameras watching the Commissar of Wellness when she gets a McRib.

[Rich]

Knowing the first lady is a stickler about nutrition, she said she felt a bit "embarrassed.''

Don't worry, Ruth. I'm sure the first lady admired you for cleaning up that litter off the street.

[romulus augustus]

We laugh at the North Koreans, but people like Bessinger would be bawling their eyes out if one of the Obamas died. Or that Princess twit that married the twits' son.

[Lord Humungus]

She's on a covert mission in Iran?

[TrickyVic]

She probably thinks Iran is Apple product.

[BakedPenguin]

Or a Flock of Seagulls product.

[?]

I am sure there is something to hate about him. But Ryan does seem to at least understand the concepts of positive and negative.

Yep. He's positive that bailouts are awesome, and that jacking federal "revenue" up to a GDP percentage not seen since WWII for a few decades would have no negative effects on the economy.

I can't think of a more hate-worthy Republican. He's certainly the one with the most Plans for us.

Plus he's got that shitty smirk on all the time, because he's foolin' so many fools.

[Paul]

It always helps to be reminded why we can't trust even the few republicans who understand arithmetic.

[Appalachian Australian]

Local fishwrap has a big full page ad telling us of the doom and gloom we will have if the doc fix isn't passed immediately.

Apparently doctors will just close up shop and go live at home in poverty rather than accept the rates that, gee, Medicare has been saying it would pay for YEARS.

[Lord Humungus]

I will not have a Yogurt Gap!

[Teenage Girl]

Eewww!!

[Fist of Etiquette]

I look forward to Congress not coming to agreement on the repeal legislation and then enjoying dipping into the lunar yogurt fund for junkets and whatnot.

[Diomasach]

I don't think $5trillion is enough. We need to commission a blue-ribbon panel (because stinky red-ribbon panels aren't good enough) to find out the exact surface area of the moon and the cost to transport enough yogurt to the moon to cover the entire surface.

And what thickness are we talking about?
And what flavor?
And what about the environmental impact?

Nope, too many questions to support this shaky yogurt-moon plan of Ryan's...