GOP Debate: We Don't Have to Answer No Stinkin' Questions!

Marco Rubio won the debate because he lied better.

I know, I know, Hillary Clinton's a big fat liar about why Benghazi happened, so she's a poophead. But, more seriously, the Republican debate the University of Colorado takes the cake this cycle for dodging questions equals winning. Sheesh.

And when they did answer they were generally lying or obfuscating. I'm no fan of even legitimate conservative policy, but since a lot of what passes for conservative policy is best described as zombie lies. They keep walking and moving forward no matter how dead or debunked they are. In fact, zombie lies are dangerous. They really can eat your brains.

Marco Rubio "won" the debate, demonstrating once again that media narratives, like zombie lies, must move forward and, most especially, be adhered to. If you don't climb on the media bus, you're not "mainstream." Sure, there are a number of close-to-mainstream media outlets -- those at Salon, MSNBC, Vox, liberal bloggers of repute, etc. -- that don't stick to the narrative (that link is to a conservative blogger!), but even then they're servants of the narrative when they point out what's nuts in the narrative.

Here's a sorely-needed fact check after all the fibs told during last night's GOP debate https://t.co/oJxEjsOjaa

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 29, 2015

For fun, Google "gop debate fact check." Here, I did it for you. I was going to do a separate post on Carly Fiorina's lies, but it's hardly necessary. The entire GOP field had a field day with the truth, so Fiorina didn't stand out this time. She's an asterisk at this point, anyway.

However, I just came across reporting of some points Fiorina made about the unconstitutionality of government involvement in the private sector. (I must have been in the kitchen cleaning bullshit off my face or something and missed them.) They're so whack that I have to point them out. Here's ThinkProgress:

Fiorina revealed her unusual understanding of the nation’s founding text during Wednesday night’s Republican presidential candidates’ debate. In response to a question on whether the federal government should help workers set up retirement plans, Fiorina offered two sweeping declarations about what the nation’s leaders can and cannot do. “There is no Constitutional role for the federal government in setting up retirement plans. There is no Constitutional role for the federal government to be setting minimum wages,” according to the former corporate CEO.

[...]

Her statement that “there is no Constitutional role for the federal government in setting up retirement plans” has similarly broad implications.

Social Security, of course, is the most important federal retirement plan. Congress is permitted to set up retirement plans such as Social Security because the Constitution permits it “to lay and collect taxes” and to “provide for the . . . general welfare of the United States.” The same provisions of the Constitution permit a broad range of federal spending programs, from Medicare to Medicaid to federal education funds to highway funding. So if Fiorina believes that the federal government cannot create a national retirement program like Social Security, it is likely that she also believes that many of these other programs are unconstitutional as well.

Pretty whack. the "general welfare" of the country and the power of Congress to tax and spend to provide for it are well explained in this Wikipedia entry on general welfare clauses. Sorry, Carly, the constitutionality of retirement plans and minimum-wage laws has been settled law for a while now, in spite of Rick Perry's assertion to the contrary. But then who'd want to wander into Rick Perry Land in the first place? Hint: Carly Fiorina. Oops.

Other highlights of the night: Fiorina will reduce the tax code to three pages. Ted Cruz is going to shrink the tax return to a postcard. Rand Paul is going to eliminate payroll taxes, putting them all on businesses. (How's that going to work??)  Donald Trump is still going to make Mexico pay for the wall.

Bonus bullshit: Ben Carson denied any relationship with Mannatech, right?

Right, Ben. You explain how much you aren't connected to Mannatech in this, er, Mannatech video. Dr. Carson, welcome to Carly Fiorina Land! Of course, YouTube is worse than slavery, or something.

All in all, I continue to think it's a bad field for the GOP. Maybe Rubio did win. But at what price? Obfuscating about his fiscal irresponsibility and his tax plan? YouTube will be all over you, and so will Hillary. Oppo research, here we come.