Liar, liar pants on fire

In the 1990 movie The Hunt for Red October, National Security Advisor Jeffrey Pelt said: "Listen, I'm a politician which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies I'm stealing their lollipops." It's an adroit line that sadly but accurately describes too many real life politicians. Republicans are predictably having a conniption fit over President Obama's proposal to tax the rich. Here's what House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said on Fox News Sunday yesterday: "Don't forget that most small businesses file taxes as individuals. So when you are raising top tax rates, you are raising taxes on these job creators." This, as Think Progress puts it, is a baldfaced "zombie lie" that refuses to die. Based on US tax returns, it turns out that less than 2 percent of the nation's small businesses fall into either of the top two tax brackets, according to Pat Garofalo. "Far more, in fact, are in the lowest tax bracket," he writes. Most appallingly, Congressman Ryan knows this. Perhaps the smartest thing Ronald Reagan ever said about the Perestroika era Russkies was "Trust, but verify." That goes quadruple for Republican pols. Oh and keep your hand on your lollipop.