No, you're not Sparticus

Probably by now you've heard some of Michele Bachmann's latest claptrap, since this is the sort of sound bite practically invented for today's superficial media. Seems that we've become a 'nation of slaves', a depressing notion, but with the way things have been going, hardly a surprising one. Bachmann was the keynote speaker for the Western Conservative Summit*, a three day leadership event in Denver, and need I mention that the crowd went wild as she told them of her plan for dismantling the slave ship board by board. There doesn't appear to be a transcript, so I'll never know for sure whether or not she shouted 'let my people go'. I do know that death panels reemerged (they never really went away) with an even more ominous agenda - this time sparing only those who are of sufficient value to the Treasury Department. Really? Really. "It is about being useful not to you, not to others, but to the United States Treasury," Bachmann told the crowd of paranoiac zealots. "How useful are you to the United States Treasury? These people are serious. It makes Kevorkian look like Mary Poppins." That's funny. They do have a marked similarity of appearance, and they both believed that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. Bachmann did something else that was fairly remarkable, lay out her dream agenda (and by extension, the agenda of all good conservatives) in as concise and straightforward a manner as I've heard it done. You might want to print this out to show to friends and acquaintances who are too disenchanted to vote this cycle. "We reform social security, then we reform Medicare, then we pare back welfare to the truly needy, for the truly disabled, because, yes, we can make that determination**. No welfare for those who violate America’s borders. Close and secure American boarders, cut the budget, limit our foreign entanglements for America, then we massively cut spending first, then we cut taxes." Bachmann went on to say that she would privatize social security, and to enumerate the the details of her tax plan. A 20% rate for all individuals, 9% for businesses, and the elimination of capital gains and estate taxes. And finally, the complete repeal of Obama care. Sure, Bachmann is a wacko, but she outraised Sarah Palin two to one last quarter and leads her own House race by nine points. In case you hadn't noticed, people have developed a real fondness for wackiness lately, an apocalyptic fever of sorts that makes them perfectly willing - eager even - to see the whole place burn. Work on that enthusiasm, people, November is creeping up on little cat feet. *other featured speakers included kooky Tom Tancredo, shrill pundit Michelle Malkin, third-tier talker Dennis Prager, and excretable toe-sucker Dick Morris. **Via the conservative version of death panels, I assume.