Charlie Sheen, at least, has an excuse. He’s on a drug he calls “Charlie Sheen.” But what powerful hallucinogen inhaled by the Left induces the mental fantasy that makes them believe:
>>Spending nearly a trillion dollars in “stimulus” money “created or saved” 3.5 million jobs?
>>A “tax cut” means giving checks to the nearly 40 percent of the work force that pays no federal income taxes?
>>The rich pay no taxes — even though the top 1 percent of income earners pay nearly 40 percent of all federal income taxes?
>>Tax cuts only benefit the rich — even though they disproportionately pay the income taxes (see above)?
>>Federal and state budget problems can be solved by simply raising taxes on “the rich” and making them pay “their fair share”?
>>Governors’ attempts to rein in public-sector compensation — because it vastly exceeds the private-sector counterparts — constitute an “assault” on “all unions”?
>>Expensive, anti-competitive, job-killing “global warming” regulations imposed on U.S. businesses can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions — even though the No. 1 and No. 4 “polluters,” China and India, respectively, say, “Go to hell, we’re growing our economies”?
>>Obamacare adds 30 million uninsured to the insured; allows people to keep their doctor or health insurance; forces health insurance companies to “insure” applicants with pre-existing illnesses — all while saving money, lowering costs and retaining the same quality?
>>President Obama presented a “fiscally responsible” 2012 budget — even though it adds to the debt, continues high annual deficits and changes nothing about the three autopilot entitlement programs, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?
>>”Greed” and lack of Wall Street regulation caused the housing meltdown — even though the Community Reinvestment Act, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the Federal Housing Administration distorted behavior; pressured lenders to give loans to the “underrepresented”; incentivized people who should have been renting to buy homes; and put taxpayers on the hook for the losses?
>>If millions of illegal aliens would likely vote Republican, liberals would still support putting them on a pathway to citizenship?
>>If convicted felons would likely vote Republican, liberals would still push to restore their full “voting rights”?
>>The Bush tax cuts for the rich “caused the deficit” — even though Obama says maintaining the current rates for the top 2 percent of income earners “costs” $700 billion over 10 years, or for each year, less than 5 percent of the current annual deficit?
>>The war in Iraq caused the deficit — even though the combined annual costs of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars represent about 10 percent of the current annual deficit?
>>President George W. Bush and his policies made America hated in the Middle East — even though polls show the Egyptians have a lower opinion of America under Obama than they did under Bush?
>>Obama can convince Iran to halt its nuclear weapons programs — by criticizing Israel for building “settlements,” and by breaking missile defense promises made to the Czech Republic and Poland to get Russia’s help in pressuring Iran?
>>Bush “admitted committing torture” by approving waterboarding and is, therefore, a confessed “war criminal”?
>>Questioning Obama’s place of birth or religion is insanity — but not believing that “Bush lied, people died”; Bush had prior knowledge of 9-11; Bush allowed America to be attacked on 9-11 to provide a pretext for war in Iraq; 9-11 was a government-involved inside job; and that World Trade Center Building 7 imploded from planted explosives?
>>Bush governed as an evil, civil liberty-crushing warmonger — even though Obama continues the same war on terror programs and policies, including the use of the “state secrets” courtroom defense to prevent national-security-sensitive documents from being turned over to the defense; rendition; the terrorist surveillance program; the Patriot Act, including the despised library provision; drone attacks in Pakistan; and the continued use of Guantanamo Bay prison?
>>Obama fulfilled his campaign promise to reduce the influence of lobbyists — while members of his administration hold meetings off White House premises to avoid the requirement of having to keep a record of the meetings?
So here’s the question. As between Charlie Sheen and the nonsense-believing left-wingers, who should be drug tested?
Examiner Columnist Larry Elder is nationally syndicated by Creators Syndicate.
