Ratigan Unhinged: GOP's 'Moronically Small' Cuts 'Truly a Flea on a Dog's Ass'
Civility was in short supply yesterday on "The Dylan Ratigan Show," as the MSNBC anchor after which the show is named used words and phrases such as "moronic" and "dog's ass" to demagogue the GOP's proposal to trim the federal budget.
"How can you be serious about cutting spending when your spending proposals are truly a flea on a dog's ass?" howled Ratigan, who went on to demonize Republicans as "nasty" frauds who want to "get rid of all the food for poor people."
Ratigan's spurious logic that cutting federal subsidies for food stamps is akin to letting poor people starve to death on the streets is reminiscent of Alan Grayon's mischaracterization of the GOP health care plan, which the former Florida congressman said was to "die quickly."
[Video embedded after the page break.]
Toward the end of his bombastic tirade, Ratigan insulted House Republicans for proposing "moronically small" cuts that, by "depriving poor people of food," should be dismissed as "sensationally devastating."
While the $32 billion list of proposed spending cuts does not address entitlement reform, the recently elected Republican majority cannot be expected to undo years of fiscal malpractice in a matter of weeks.
Ratigan also accused Republicans of not taking serious steps to "reform the tax code," even though the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.), started holding hearings on tax reform in late January.
"We're going to do tax reform and it's going to ruffle some feathers," Camp told The Hill, a congressional newspaper.
When Ratigan directed his wrath toward Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, his guest rejected the premise of his vacuous argument: "I think your questions are insulting and I don't take them seriously."
Heye, the former communications director for the Republican National Committee, added, "I've heard you talk about an era of new civility and now you're calling people morons."
After being interrupted repeatedly, Heye implored the unhinged Ratigan to "talk about positive issues."
To his credit, although perhaps too little too late, Ratigan confessed, "I get a little worked up, I apologize."
A transcript of the relevant portions of the segment can be found below:
MSNBC
Dylan Ratigan
February 9, 2011
4:27 p.m. EST
DYLAN RATIGAN: How can you be serious about cutting spending when your spending proposals are truly a flea on a dog's ass? These people come out with a few billion here and a few billion there. We'll just get rid of all the food for poor people. We'll just obliterate any subsidies for heating oil for the most desperately poor. But we'll continue to account for nearly half of the 1.5 trillion that's spent globally on defense. We won't in any shape, way, or form address that. We will not reform the tax code or investment policies in this country to drive investment in our country, which, by the way, would help people get rich and create jobs because we wouldn't want to alienate those who are using us to extract money from this country.
There was a great tweet. We were going to the break and I said are the Republicans serious or are the Republicans nasty? And @NONOTAGAIN on Twitter said, "They're both serious and nasty. If only the Democrats were any better." That seems to be our problem, doesn't it? Well today House Republicans, friend of I don't know who, released a partial list of what they plan to cut in government spending. Not that we don't spend a lot – Medicare, Social Security, massive defense budget – not surprisingly, they're targeting none of that and instead are targeting peanuts that are central to the Obama political agenda. Why deal with the military industrial complex, or massive loopholes and bleed in the banking or tax code, when you can cut the EPA, high speed rail, renewable energy, and the IRS, which has to help enforce the health care law? And in the process, the other cuts take aim at the most vulnerable in our society, like WIC, which provides food for low-income mothers and children. That will save your budget problems!
The full set of Republican cuts will save about $32 billion this year. I cannot emphasize how moronically small that number is and how sensationally devastating depriving poor people of food is, while you continue to subsidize multi-trillion-dollar tax, trade, banking, and health care scams. It is stunning. Almost as stunning as the Democrats's refusal to deal with the same problems. I get a little worked up, I apologize.
--Alex Fitzsimmons is a News Analysis intern at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
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Comments
→ Ratigan
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 4:56pm.
And Ratigan is an expert on dogs' asses.
So maybe we should include defunding PBS, whereupon Ratigan might be replaced with any one of several fundraisers who suddenly find themselves jobless.
Ain't no way Ratigan is as socialist as that bowl of warm spit over at PBS.
This from the man who spoke
Submitted by jdawg2009 on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:02pm.
This from the man who spoke fondly of violent revolution in America. More proof that MSNBC must be having a contest to see who will be the new face of hate now that Olby is gone.
http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-spokane/msnbc-s-ratigan-cartooni...
What's with MSNBC?
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:03pm.
What's the deal with MessNBC? They've been coming unhinged in one form or fashion and in another almost as if they were trying to outdo each other in outrageous things to say. Are they coming unglued because news came down the pike from Comcast or what?
My word for it is ape$h!t because that's what they are doing, they are going ape$h!t.
-Jon
Breaking! (well... maybe not so much)
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 7:23pm.
Jon asks: "What's with MSNBC? and gives us a partial answer: “news came down the pike from Comcast or what?”
Here is a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the Comcast management launching a few ideas to replace or fix the MSDNC programs (note: the last scene is dedicated to “Hardball with Tingles”):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B245WniLH2A
Very funny
Submitted by jon_torlin on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 7:44pm.
Now that was funny, especially the dedication. :-)
-Jon
Dear Jon:
Submitted by beauxdog on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 11:50am.
I really must object to your use of ape$h!t as a description of what is coming out of MSNBC and the left in general. You see... apes are on the verge of being endangered species... that means there aren't that many of them around... that means the global output of ape$h!t is really on the decline and is a very minor player in the $h!t game when compared to the really major contributors such as bull$h!t, horse$h!t, dog$h!t and cat$h!t.
Now I realize that ape$h!t can also mean "acting crazy"... I think bull$h!t (out and out lying) is far more descriptive of MSNBC.
it's great fun
Submitted by donabernathy on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:09pm.
watch'n propaganda heads explode
Last I c he's push'n Obama care that's gonna add at least 2 TRILLION and now cuts ain't big enough 4 him
Bwahahahahahahahahah
roflmao
The Loony Left
Submitted by iveseenitall on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:05pm.
It seems that every week now there's another "not for prime time" remark from Ratigan. But hey, he's a "liberal"---one to whom immature temper tantrums are a way of life. Sad.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)
Correction
Submitted by donabernathy on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:14pm.
NEVER,NEVER trust a "liberal" (progressive)..COMMIE
Put'n da Brakes
Submitted by donabernathy on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:12pm.
on the drunken Kenyan sailors spend'n spree is cut enough 4 me.
roflmao
He has a point. $32 billion
Submitted by LAM SON 719 on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:12pm.
He has a point. $32 billion chump change considering the mess we are in and so far all the GOP has done is talk, this new group doesn't seem to be much better than the last bunch. Just like Issa, stop talking about investigations and do it, show us you mean business. Until decisive action taken it's all just talk and pandering to the media.
Its been a month, government
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 3:59am.
Its been a month, government moves slowly and that is a good thing.
Having Only Read the Title
Submitted by JustAl on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:12pm.
I am in agreement. The cuts proposed by the GOP (in the House at least) are moronically small.
Note to GOP:
Promise to cut only $100B is a joke.
Plan to cut only $38B is a damned insult!
Ok so I bit and watched this
Submitted by inquiringmind on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:18pm.
Ok so I bit and watched this "moron" . He paused and paused as he waited for his teleprompter to catch up. No wonder he likes Obama so much. He's using the same teleprompter.
Yeah... The Republicans in Congress need to grow a pair...
Submitted by The_Barrel_Guy on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:23pm.
I am a registered Republican...
I am a regular Tea Party participant...
My representative in California-3 would like us to think he is a conservative Republican...
Just check out his votes...
I am sick and tired of the eunachs that represent our party...
Early in 2012, I am going to do all I can to support and elect someone else as the candidate in CA-3...
In the Fall of 2010, I shall do everything I can to see that our current representative does not return for another term unless his votes -- not his speeches -- actually change...
Fall of 2010 has passed.
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 4:01am.
Fall of 2010 has passed.
'Moronically Small' Cuts
Submitted by jdhawk on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 5:55pm.
'Moronically Small' Cuts 'Truly a Flea on a Dog's Ass'
Well, let's see if that is true. Let's say that your mortgage is, $1,500,000,000,000 dollars for this fiscal year alone. The bank wants you to pay up. So, instead of paying you offer to "save" $32,000,000,000 dollars. That's about 2% of the above figrue or $1.5 trillion dollars. Do you think the bank will foreclose on your mortgage? Thought so . . .
So, the Republicans, not to be confused with conservatives, are proposing 2% of what we will borrow to cover the federal expenditures this year alone or over 40 cents of every dollar spent. I guess, Ratigan is right. These truly are moronically small cuts and the equivalnet of a flea on not a dog's a**, but a elephant's a**.
By he way, there are two things regarding those cuts that you need to know. First, they are not the cuts for just this year, but over some mythically, ridiculous, we hope that you will forget we ever mentioned it, time period. So, if you "cut" $32 billion over 10 years. That's only $3.2 billion in "savings" a year. Secondly, they are not "cuts" but scaling back on the increases of these particular line items in the budget from year to year. So instead of these programs growing at 10% each year, now they are growing at 8% a year. That's cuts - federal government style!
So, in other words, they are truly worse than a flea on an elephant's a**.
Regarding Ratigan's claim that anyone in the United States is going to starve if the federal government reduces the growth of the yearly increases of the WIC program that is absurd. With 4 out of 5 Americans obese and 2 out of 5 morbidly obese (see CDC), it sounds as if the WIC program could lose some weight even if Americans won't
"Ratigan Unhinged: GOP's
Submitted by Cowboy on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 8:25pm.
"Ratigan Unhinged: GOP's 'Moronically Small' Cuts 'Truly a Flea on a Dog's Ass'"
But another $1.5 trillion deficit makes sense?
Did anyone bother to explain to Ratigan that the Democrats still have control of the Senate and the White House, and the GOP cannot by themselves cut entitlements?
Call the Dems bluff and roll the deficit back to ay least 2008.
To be a dimwit and ridicule the Right for
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 9:07pm.
Not cutting enough spending, is pretty pathetic, especially since tomorrow he will be screaming about all of the thing the Right want to take from the Woman and Kids.
Truth be told,, 100 Billion is pathetic. Hardly a good start, my disappointment will grow quickly.
Ratigan's shenanigans aside, he has a point
Submitted by Dave. on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 10:16pm.
These proposed cuts are pathetically small compared to what is truly needed, and I hope the repubs understand this.
This country cannot afford a third party in 2012, as that will ensure our demise.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
"moronically small"
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Thu, 02/10/2011 - 11:15pm.
and what would you call bo's tightening the country's belt with a 400 billion cut over ten years?
What a dummy.
Ratigan's ratings are truly a
Submitted by Beukeboom on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 10:55am.
Ratigan's ratings are truly a flea on a dog's ass.
Maybe Ratty can join Olbie on AlBoreTV soon
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 10:59am.
Where the entire prime time viewership is a whopping 18,000.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
→ Not a lot of basements
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Fri, 02/11/2011 - 11:02am.
18,000 viewers. Reminds me of the stories we used to hear about Radio Free Europe back in grade school.