According to a Wall Street Journal editorial last week, the Democrats and editorial supporters have taken referring to the Republicans' effort to permanently repeal the estate tax as the "Paris Hilton Benefit Act." The Journal goes on to mock liberals for doing such a thing, and then argues, as usual, for such a repeal.
Regardless of the merits of the bill, the decision by its opponents to call it that is a political masterstroke- probably the best political move by the Democrats since Clinton left office. The Republicans have been doing this sort of thing for years, naming laws after Laci Peterson, Terri Schiavo, and every other prominent cable news perma-victim- it's a surprise Chandra Levy never got her own law.
Naming pieces of legislation after unpopular celebrities is a great idea- but why stop with Paris? How about dubbing the Social Security privitization the "Bea Arthur Bill"? Partial Birth Abortion? Mary Kate and Ashley's Law. They could even try to scuttle the the next anti-"indecency" effort by adding the Carrot Top Amendment.
Because not every piece of legislation can be as cool as Idaho's recent act honoring "Napoleon Dynamite."
The next "indecency" legislation should be called "The Barney Act". Most adults can't stand Barney.
Posted by: Bill McCabe at April 18, 2005 07:36 AMThe only problem with the Napoleon Dynamite bill is the fact that, although it admittedly had many funny moments and images, Napoleon Dynamite was just a BAD movie. I fail to understand how anyone who isn't high, drunk, or stupid could have thought this movie was brilliant.
Honestly, I laugh in retrospect at some of the moments, but while it was going on, I was thinking about going to work the next day. If a movie makes you think about work (and I don't care if you are a vibrator tester) that movie isn't doing its intended job.
That was harsh about the Oleson Partial-Birth Abortion Act. Yowza.
Sadly, I'm with Dan on Napoleon Dynamite. I so wanted to like it, but just couldn't. Extremely overrated.
Posted by: Esther at April 18, 2005 05:31 PM