|
Santa: Whipping Boy of Pundits & Politicians
He's weathering a recession, elf layoffs, and criticism from the left and the right.The long-beloved Man in Red has endured a year of controversy and criticism, drawing barbs from the left and the right, along with the ire of animal rights activists.
As Christmas 2009 approaches, Santa finds himself the whipping boy of pundits and politicians, facing lawsuits, late night barbs, hostile federal legislation, allegations he received federal bailouts, and a nasty mockumentary.
Here's just a small sampling of the spin on Santa.
Santa Spin
 |
Nancy Pelosi
A strong public option is necessary to keep Santa honest. What is Santa afraid of? If someone has a better idea for boosting competition and holding down costs, let's hear it.
|
|
 |
Glenn Beck
Who is Santa, really? Where is his birth certificate? If he's not a socialist, why does he always wear red? I'm not saying he's a communist who wants to brainwash our children - I'm just saying I'm worried that he might be. watch >>
|
|
 |
ACLU
Santa knows when you've been sleeping. He knows when you're awake, he knows when you've been bad or good. This kind of Big-Brother surveillance is exactly why we opposed the Patriot Act. Santa might as well be Dick Cheney with a beard.
|
|
 |
Rush Limbaugh
Giving toys to all children, whether their parents are successful or not, will merely teach children to become dependent on Santa. Also, we should not trust Santa with this kind of power. If Santa's big enough to give toys to every child, he's big enough to take them all away. watch >>
|
|
 |
AFL-CIO
Our continued reliance on Santa's cheap toys has undermined American manufacturing and made us too dependent on imports. Why should we bring toys all the way from the North Pole when we could make them here in the United States?
|
|
 |
Ralph Nader
Unsuspecting consumers are put at grave risk because some of the toys finding their way under our Christmas trees have not been tested by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That's unconscionable, and we are gathering plaintiffs' names for a class action lawsuit against Big Red and his dangerous toy machine. watch >>
|
|
 |
Rolling Stone magazine
We all admire Santa's early work, but he's totally sold out these days. Now we only see Santa making appearances in shopping malls and shooting ads for Coca-Cola. He's gone from ho-ho to ho-hum.
|
|