Eric Holder's Chutzpah

    When Vice President Joe Biden lets loose with one of his infamous quotables, such as yesterday's "a depression for millions and millions", one gets the sense that many in the administration are listening with a hand over their eyes, slowly shaking their heads.  However, when Eric Holder plays the high school troublemaker who is facing the teacher with an innocent look, inwardly thumbing his nose, those same administration members have a hand over their mouths suppressing a "pppbbbbbtttttttt!" with an admiring look on their faces.  After yesterday's overwhelming House vote (bi-partisan!) finding Holder in contempt of Congress, Fox News reports Holder's reaction:

“Today’s vote is the regrettable culmination of what became a misguided and politically motivated investigation during an election year,” Holder said afterward. “By advancing it over the past year and a half, Congressman Issa and others have focused on politics over public safety.”

The "past year and a half" and "during an election year"?  Yes, because Holder and his Justice Department have managed to stall and deceive and stonewall so long.  And "public safety"?  That's the especially galling statement considering Fast and Furious resulted in the death of a border agent and over 300 others, and is still responsible for 2,000 missing firearms, presumably in the hands of Mexican drug gangs.  Since the resolution of this issue quite possibly depends on Holder's Justice Department investigating itself, don't look for answers any time soon.  Just as in high school, the troublemakers tend to protect their own.

Hyperbole on Steroids

    The president ramped up his efforts again this week to get Congress to prevent an interest rate increase on Stafford students loans set to occur on July 1st.  He also ramped up his deceptive rhetoric, as the White House blog records:

"If Congress does not get this done in a week, the average student with federal student loans will rack up an additional $1,000 in debt over the coming year," he said. "If Congress fails to act, more than 7 million students will suddenly be hit with the equivalent of a $1,000 tax hike. And that’s not something that you can afford right now."

The reality is that a rate increase would mean an additional $1,041 in interest over the 12-year life of the loan, not "over the coming year."  But Politico chose to report this whopper as follows:

That was a bit of hyperbole. According to the Department of Education, if rates double, the borrower paying back the average Stafford loan would owe an additional $1,041 over the 12-year life of the loan. That would break down to $87 more annually, or about $7 more a month.

"A bit of hyperbole"?  A $7 per month interest increase morphs into a annual "$1,000 tax hike", and that's "a bit of hyperbole"?  For crying out loud, it's 25¢ per day!  What's next?  Operation Fast and Furious is a "big fuss over a few guns"?  Four years of one-trillion-dollar-plus deficits is "austerity"?  With its recent fund raising appeals, this administration has already set its sights on rendering parody moot.  Now it's gunning for hyperbole, as well.  Why the Republicans are negotiating with the president about this issue and not ridiculing the whole matter from the rooftops is beyond me.