J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

As I was busy coining the phrase "exqueeze me?" on the day they taught macroeconomics, I can't claim to be an expert on how to solve the impending debt ceiling/financial crisis, but I do feel that if one side has so taken ANY added revenue off the table that they can even pretend to be outraged about closing a tax loophole involving private jets (showing depreciation over five years instead of seven), it's hard to take any of it seriously.  I mean, private jets? Nobody's saying that would instantly solve all our problems, but $30B is more than $0 and, more importantly, a first step towards sanity.

And of course Republicans can't simply say "hey, I don't want my rich friends to hafta pay more $crillah," they have to claim populist solidarity with The Common Man, with Rick Why Again Is He Running for President? Santorum leading the charge:

A visibly angry Santorum told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren that Obama’s targeting of corporate jet owners defies the candidate’s pledge to bring Americans together.

Wai-wh-wh-wh-WHAT?  When could anything about private, corporate jets "bring us together"?  Have we been writing folk songs about how great it is that a tax loophole was created a quarter century ago for people who own jets to save money?  Is there a verse to We Are the World I've missed?

Nobody should give a shit about any of this.  Of COURSE the talking point will be "if this loophole is taken away these noble corporations won't be able to create jobs and hire people!!"  Which is, of course, complete fucking nonsense.  Corporations that are doing well enough to be able to buy a jet for it's own purposes are doing very nicely - nobody cancels their cable and eats tv dinners so they can save up to buy a jet.  We're not exactly talking about extending your Prell shampoo with water here.  If the removal of this loophole means curtains for any corporation, then they were already on life support and likely not hiring people anyway.

This shit is just like the NFL appealing to the public for sympathy, wanting us to wring our hands with worry "gee, how will they divvy up their gazaillions??!?!?!!!"  Only the most duped, baffled Tea Party member could possibly be fooled into siding with corporate jets on this one.