As Andrew Stiles reported earlier, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) went on a rant this morning against GOP spending cuts. In the midst of his flailing, he bemoaned the loss of a “cowboy poetry festival.” Really.
“The mean-spirited bill, H.R. 1 … eliminates the National Endowment of the Humanities, National Endowment of the Arts,” said Reid. “These programs create jobs. The National Endowment of the Humanities is the reason we have in northern Nevada every January a cowboy poetry festival. Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist.”
(h/t Shira Toeplitz)
UPDATE: More information about the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, here.
"Had that program not been around, the tens of thousands of people who come there every year would not exist."
The people would not exist? Why, is the cowboy poetry is a giant love fest where tens of thousands of babies are conceived? Sounds better than Woodstock!!!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI've been to a cowboy poetry "reading". Happened when my roommate in college got kicked by a horse! Didn't need a government subsidy either.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNevadans had their chance to get rid of Reid. Don't blame us Republicans because we nominated Sharron Angle, who would have been a fine Senator.
And may yet still become one...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy does Republican budget cutting always begin and end with the same tiny programs?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThat's a perfect example of Democrat jobs created by the government. Basically welfare for people that can claim it's a "job". The job doesn't produce any self support whatsoever, having to constantly receive government handouts. Which, of course, is taxpayer money.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Reid is right, that just proves that nobody except the government thinks the Cowboy Poetry thing is worth paying for. There are cultural events of all kinds that are produced without subsidy because...wait for it....enough people are willing to pay to see it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAs a liberal/pro-choicer, shouldn't Reid be in favor of things that prevent people from coming into the world?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe annual Cowboy Poetry shindig in Elko, NV, is actually pretty cool -- but that doesn't justify the $160 million or so annual appropriation for the National Endowment for the Arts.
In his rant, Leader Reid is characteristically confused. HR 1 would not eliminate NEH or NEA. It would cut the NEH budget by $22 million and the NEA budget by $43 million -- this year. And the Cowboy Poetry Gathering is funded by NEA, not NEH. But Senator Reed rarely lets the facts get in the way of his petulant foot-stomping tirades....
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhoa! That is cool. It's like new worlds of people brought into existence through quantum mechanics and the NEA. And they're poets, too.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhen did we add "Cowboy Poets" to the roster of segments of society that the government will support from cradle to grave?!
I'm familiar with the tired response of liberals, the same as for each such sub group of society: "The recipients are the next Toby Keith, the next Kenny Chesney, the next Patsy Cline!" As if: "ALL OF NASHVILLE RESTS UPON OUR AWESOME GOVERNMENT PROGRAM!" They never mention that the bulk of successful people in our society didn't cut their teeth on government welfare cloth.
If "Cowboy Poets" are to receive government welfare money, then that is proof positive that the progressives want EVERYONE on the dole, except, of course, for the small cadre of progressives who are to make all of society's rules.
As in all tin-pot dictatorships, they'll be known as the "Ruling Class".
Geez, I'll never listen to the Jethro Tull song, "Minstrel in the Gallery", the same way again!
"The Minstrel in the gallery --
Looked Down on the Rabbit-run.
He threw away his looking glass,
Saw his face in Everyone . . ."
Now, when I hear that tune, I'll always picture William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac locked arm-in-arm dancing around doin' the docie-doe in straw hats.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFortunately, because of Obamacare, those tens of thousands of people will have medical care while they are developing their passions and/or talents be per Nancy Pelosi.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWell, golly gee, Harry, if you miss being able to go to a cowboy poetry fest in Nevada, perhaps you would like to attend one in my home state, Texas. And golly gee, Harry, unlike Nevada, ours are paid for through ticket sales and local sponsors, an idea that probably never entered your head.
There are cowboy "poetry" gatherings all over; Texas, Missouri (yeah, go figure), Washington State. Seems Harry has a large field to choose from.
If taxpayers are going to be required to pay for such stupid stuff, then admission to these events should be free if you present your last year's income tax return that shows you actually paid into the federal coffers.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseGiven some of the "arts" I've seen in recent years, I think our tax dollars would be put to better use providing food, shelter and healthcare for those who can't afford it. Let those very wealthy devotees of the arts also be the benefactors. Why would politicians who are perpetually aggrieved on behalf of the disenfranchised want to spend precious tax dollars on something few disenfranchised Americans benefit from?
Budgeting is about setting priorities and, no offense intended, a Cowboy Poetry Festival shouldn't be high on any reasonable person's list of priorities when money is in short supply. The fact that such a simple financial concept is beyond the understanding of the majority leader of the United States Senate is perhaps one of the reasons we find ourselves where we are today.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhere I come from, when money's tight we start by trimming the luxuries - movies, dinners out, some of the extra cable channels, and so on.
But in Harry Reid's world, doing without luxuries is "draconian" and unacceptable.
These yahoos can't even cut a couple days worth of borrowing out of a $1,500 billion spending spree? Absurd.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat's the deal with the citizen moderators? How come I never hear about these things? Here I was feeling good about my star and along comes this whole new class of butch posters with the nightsticks and dress blues....
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"HR 1 would not eliminate NEH or NEA."
But it should.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePoor, poor pitiful cow-poets, can't survive on their own merit. Maybe they should find a real job and keep their poetry making as a hobby.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHarry Reid laments the broke-back desert(ed).
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat an asinine statement for an elected representative to make (both what he "said" as well as what he "meant"). As for Cowboy Poetry, I am the proud owner of several books from that genre, primarily by Baxter Black. I paid full price for every one, received no government subsidy to do it, and would gladly do so again. The fact that he's willing to support Cowboy Poetry is in NO WAY confirmation that the support is needed!
That being said, if you get a chance, check out Baxter Black. He's worth looking into (so to speak). ;)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDon't you Cornerites know that in the heart of every cowboy is a bureaucrat loving government subsidy man?
Seriously though, this government cowboy festival reminds me of Garrison Keillor pretending to be a small town guy, talking to small town people. We are subsidizing the entertainment of the world's wealthiest wannabes. And then when we try and cut it someone cries, but what about the poor little cowboys?
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