Somehow, I’ve been thinking a lot about Molly Ivins recently and how she would know exactly what to say about the absurdity of our political leaders who are just clueless. She once said, of former Republican House Majority leader Dick Armey, “If ignorance ever goes to $40 a barrel, I want drillin’ rights on that man’s head.” Which would be the perfect quote to use to describe Erskine Bowles, Alan Simpson, Alice Rivlin, and the other passel of foolish deficit-obsessed who seem determined to outdo themselves with their folly.

Ivins might write something like, “I never thought I’d be rooting for Republicans. But, just maybe, maybe, their lunacy will send Erskine Bowles back to North Carolina and that nitwit Alan Simpson back to Montana and then the the entire country can abandon the nonsense of the debt “crisis” and get back to talking about spending money to put people back to work”.

So, while millions of people can’t get work, these ignorant people continue to play with themselves–yes, I mean “masturbation”. Enough of this:

Former Sen. Alan Simpson (R., Wyo.), former Clinton White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles, former Sen. Pete Domenici (R., N.M.), and former Clinton White House budget director Alice Rivlin urged the committee to go beyond its mandate of shrinking the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years and reach for $4 trillion in cuts.

They appeared alternately contemptuous and despairing of the apparent inaction by the committee, whose Democratic and Republican members exchanged proposals last week that were rejected by the other side.

“I have great respect for each of you individually,” Mr. Bowles said. “But collectively, I’m worried you’re going to fail—fail the country.” Messrs. Bowles and Simpson unveiled their deficit-cutting plan last year under a committee established by President Barack Obama.

Mr. Domenici, who with Ms. Rivlin also presented a deficit-cutting plan last year, said lawmakers who refuse to consider tax increases, as well as those who rule out cutting safety-net programs, “are both complicit in letting America destroy itself.”

Rating firm Moody’s Investors Service said it would be “positive” for its rating of the U.S. debt if the committee reached a deal. Moody’s also said it wouldn’t automatically downgrade U.S. debt if the committee couldn’t find agreement because of the trigger of $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. [emphasis added]

So, when you read that, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. To me, the president made a massive cardinal sin by giving a platform to these two jokers, Simpson and Bowles, who represent not a bi-partisan “balance” but actually the same side of the coin. Not a single person on that phony Commission argued–as at least some of us have, using FACTS–that the debt or deficit “crisis” is a sham.

And, so, we now have to listen a corporate shill, conservative Democrat–that would be Bowles–be the public scold, wagging his finger at the people who will “fail the country”.

Which summons up another Ivins pearl: “Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous.” . Well, there you have it.

2. And, then, comes Domenici with his pathetic statement that if you are not cutting Medicare and Medicaid, you are “complicit in letting America destroy itself”. This is just sheer lunacy since, if you are in touch with reality, you would note: the country is weakened not by spending money on seniors and poor people (who, actually, spend money to buy stuff) but by letting the financial and corporate system eat away at the economic base of the nation with bubble after bubble, scam after scam, one wage-battering policy after another, and a foreign policy–if you want to call “policy” what has been immoral stupidity–that has pissed away trillions of dollars.

Ivins channeled again. Speaking about George W. Bush in 2000: “If, at the end of this short book, you find W. Bush’s political resume a little light, don’t blame us. There’s really not much there. We have been looking for six years.” Which goes for Domenici and the whole gang.

3. And, last but not least, oh my god, can we just stop invoking Moody’s? The entire operation is a fraud–and, as I wrote, Moody’s was deeply complicit in the financial crisis.

So, we should be rooting for the Republicans who appear so dead-set against any deficit-chopping deal that includes increasing taxes on higher incomes that they will scuttle the entire sham. Go for it.

And, then, by doing nothing, the Bush tax cuts will expire at the end of the year.