As you know, there's a bit of a divide in this country — income inequality, the left thinks it's unfair because of systemic disadvantages built in for the less affluent; the right thinks it's unfair because apparently those disadvantages aren't systemic enough. And they don't like the fact that the rich are being demonized, especially given how compassionate they are to the disgusting poor.
ERIC BOLLING (10/13/2013): The makers make it, the government takes it from them, and then they give it to the takers.
STEVE DOOCY (1/9/2014): ... a nation of takers ...
BILL O'REILLY (1/8/2013): ... welfare cheats ...
JOHN STOSSEL (4/9/2011): ... freeloaders ...
NEAL BOORTZ (10/14/2010): ... the moocher class out there ...
STUART VARNEY (7/9/2011): 99% of them have a refrigerator.
ERIC BOLLING (9/9/2012): Subsidized freeloaders who'd rather watch Jerry Springer on the couch or occupy a park, than go out and earn a living.
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER (1/22/2013): There's a lot more people who want to suck on the teat of the state.
(audience laughter)
You know that moocher class, that just comes right up to the state, and is all like, "Oooh, look at 'em teats!" (Jon motorboats) "Gimme some of that unemployment benefit!" (Jon motorboats) You know, the state's very voluptuous.
It's actually honestly hard to listen to them talk about it. I wish there was some shorthand way to represent their feelings towards the recipients of these benefits graphically.
1/9/2014:
That's on their morning show. And what note do you give the graphics designer for that? "Hey, give me the dirt-stained hand of the moochy poor bursting alien-like through the heart of this once mighty nation. And then give it a little ragtime underneath, you know, it's a morning show." (audience laughter)
Can you imagine that when it reasonably came time to try and temporarily extend long-term unemployment benefits — which average, I dunno, $256 dollars a week, and ran out in December — can you imagine, the right must have had many reasons why that's a terrible idea.
BRIT HUME (12/28/2013): The people who are losing unemployment benefits have had them for a long time. It is supposed to be a temporary measure.
JULIET HUDDY (12/28/2013): This was supposed to be a temporary fix.
STUART VARNEY (1/7/2014): We've gradually extended and extended and extended them.
JOHN BOEHNER (1/8/2014): We would consider extending emergency unemployment benefits if it was paid for.
PBS (1/7/2014): One way he [Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)] suggested is to eliminate new health care subsidies for the poor.
Oh! What a great deal! "I would happily extend your unemployment benefits for the mere cost of your health care." It's like a wonderful O Henry story with an ironic twist ending.
"Look, honey, I sold all our food to get you that doctor's appointment!"
"What? I stopped treating my cancer to get you this banana!" (audience laughter)
"Oh-ho! We should've talked."
You know, I'm not certain that making sure these programs are paid for and finite is the worst idea, if that were their consistent position about benefits to other groups. For instance, maybe those who punch their hands through the chest of America to receive the supposedly temporary Bush tax cuts.
SEN. RON JOHNSON, R-WI (1/5/2011): We also need to make tax cuts permanent.
SEN. JON KYL, R-AZ (7/11/2010): We should never have to offset the cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates.
JOHN BOEHNER (8/8/2010): What you're trying to do is get into this Washington game, and their funny accounting over there.
MITCH McCONNELL (8/22/2010): This is existing tax policy. It's been in place for 10 years. ... Why did it all of a sudden become something that we "paid for"?
(in McConnell voice) "Why do we have to pay for it? It's been in existence for over 10 years! Giving money to rich people doesn't cost anything! (audience laughter) All the payment we need is their beautiful smiles!"
'Cause the real outrage isn't the bonuses or tax cuts that go to the highest earners. The real outrage is the Showcase Showdown lavish value of the golden parachute welfare packages this country now dispenses.
GREGG JARRETT (9/17/2013): Food stamps, SNAP cards, disability, unemployment checks, public housing. The Cato Institute did a study, just came out, said the full plate of welfare benefits now pays more than $12 dollars per hour in half the states. And in other words, sitting on the couch eating bonbons is more financially lucrative.
WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!? (Jon facepalms)
No, you're right, that is a perfect encapsulation of the lifestyle of the poor and long-term unemployed — bonbon wishes and couch-sitting dreams! (audience laughter)
But I guess, maybe there is a real point in there. What's your incentive to work 40 hours a week in a shitty job when you can make the same shitty salary not working? I guess one solution would be raise the minimum wage, so that there would be a discrepancy. What do you think of that?
GERRI WILLIS (2/13/2013): Raising the minimum wage could be just about the worst thing he could do for the jobs market.
JONATHAN HOENING (12/7/2013): Wages aren't arbitrary, Arthel. They're not based on whim, they're not based on feeling, and they're not charity.
STUART VARNEY (12/3/2013): Someone fresh out of high school that didn't get a diploma, they don't really have any basic skills, do you think that they deserve $15 an hour?
FOX BUSINESS GUEST (7/29/2013): Why stop at $15? Why not raise the minimum wage to $100,000?
WHY NOT?? (audience laughter) Why not pay people in cocaine and unicorns? (audience laughter)
But I get it. Your solution is we can't make employment more attractive, we can only make unemployment less attractive. 'Cause anything else is a moral hazard.
SEN. RAND PAUL, R-KY (12/8/2013): When you allow people to be on unemployment insurance for 99 weeks, you're causing them to become part of this perpetual unemployed group.
NINA EASTON (1/6/2014): Dependency does not get people out of poverty; jobs do.
CHARLES PAYNE (1/8/2014): A lot of people are lazy, and a lot of people are becoming lazier.
1/8/2014:
STEVE DOOCY: You know what it's like. You have been on unemployment as a struggling actor before.
DEAN CAIN: Yes. ... You see some of the movies I've done? Do you think I wanted to do all of those movies? I mean, I gotta be honest. You sometimes have to go to work.
STEVE DOOCY: You take a job!
DEAN CAIN: Maybe it's not the job you want, but you take the job.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Sure.
Exactly. Actor Dean Cain is right. I don't care if the auto parts plant shut down after 40 years, get your ass off your couch, stop eating those bonbons, and star in The Dog Who Saved Christmas. (massive audience cheering and applause)
Well let's be honest. Now sure, we feel bad for the deserving unemployed. But are we really sure that all those people collecting their fat $256 dollars a week really need it?
BILL O'REILLY (11/12/2013): Welfare fraud outta control.
STUART VARNEY (11/17/2010): Fraud rampant in many programs across the country.
GRETCHEN CARLSON (1/6/2014): I've spoken to people who say, you know, I'm better off getting unemployment than going off of financial aid.
GREGG JARRETT (1/4/2014): Now the surfer dude in California told us, why work when the government pays me not to work?
BRAD BLAKEMAN (10/31/2013): Fraud, mismanagement, and abuse.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE (12/5/2011): Trust me, milking the system, OK?
DONALD TRUMP (1/6/2014): You have many, many people, I'll bet you it's a big majority of the people, that are sitting back and not pulling their weight.
Far be it from me to bet against such a successful casino owner (audience giggles), but I will wager the percentage of unemployment scammers is less than "a big majority".
Still, the position is clear. Because a few people on unemployment might be committing fraud, everybody's benefits should end, nobody's should get extended. I'm curious, how did they apply that same reasoning when people on Wall Street were caught definitely committing fraud?
CHARLIE GASPARINO (10/3/2011): Yes, Wall Street has a perception problem, but you know, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
KEN LANGONE (8/21/2013): And the fact that you may have a few bad apples....
MICHAEL STEELE: There are bad apples in any situation.
FOX NEWS GUEST (7/24/2010): You're right, there's a few bad apples.
BALD GUEST ON KUDLOW REPORT (5/13/2010): The market will always have a few bad actors, and you find 'em, and you shoot 'em, OK? But you don't kill the market.
And by "actor", I mean "CEOs", and by "shoot 'em", I mean "pay them millions to leave". (audience laughter)
All right, so when it comes to Wall Street, you can't judge everyone by a few bad apples. I mean, who hasn't had a couple of bad actors and apples, right? But when it comes to the unemployed, if you find a few bad apples, napalm that fucking orchard! (audience laughter)
I think I'm beginning to get it. If it's a policy that benefits the rich, then it doesn't have to be paid for, should last forever, and is good for America. But if it benefits the poor, we can't afford it, we should end it as soon as possible, and it will destroy our nation from within. Because when you give money to people who don't have it, it corrupts them. But people who are already rich have a money immunity built up already. (audience laughter and applause) Handouts don't hurt them. Money is the root of all evil for anyone who doesn't have any, just like smallpox is to the Native American community. (audience howls) We'll be right back.
looking at the sheer dickishness that is Chris Christie.
Christie held on Thursday morning.
that Obama wasn't as much a warmonger as he had hoped.