In a rare encounter with actual people, presidential wannabe Mitt Romney (R-Call Me Ahab) parachuted into Iowa this week in an effort to – wait for it – campaign there without seeming to campaign there.
According to a New York Times report, Romney told a crowd in Dubuque “I will slay the deficit beast” by cutting federal government programs.
In addition to repealing the president’s national health care program, Mr. Romney also offered a few other examples of federal programs he’d be willing to cut — The National Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“These are wonderful things,” he said, referring to the programs he’d just placed on the chopping block. “But I’m not willing to borrow a billion dollars to pay for things we don’t absolutely need. “
All well and good, except Romney’s math is a bit off. Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($422 million), the National Endowment for the Arts ($154 million), and the National Endowment for the Humanities ($167 million) only adds up to $743 million.
Well short of a billion.
Not to get technical about it.
Campaign Outsider 
Anyone can talk about millions, but a billion sounds oh so much more impressive. Besides, when you’re speaking to the gullible and unthinking, facts don’t matter.
He meant for two years, I’m sure, so it comes out to $1.46 billion. Just give him the benefit of the doubt: any time a politician is within 25% (or so) you should applaud them for landing somewhere in the vicinity of the facts.
Geez, Mike. You’re getting soft in your old age.