Why Isn’t the National Debt a Sexy Story?
Rob Bluey /
Speaking at yesterday’s Bloggers Briefing, conservative filmmaker Stephen Bannon held up a copy of USA Today to demonstrate the challenge of getting Americans to take seriously this country’s debt crisis.
On the front page was a banner headline, “U.S. owes $62 trillion.” Underneath the headline and above the fold was a photo of a tearful Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) from Monday’s late-afternoon press conference. The two stories had nothing to do with each other, but no doubt USA Today had an idea which one was more likely to sell papers.
“Look, this paper sums it up today,” Bannon explained to the Heritage audience. “We can spend all our time with the Anthony Weiners and have the media chase that and we can go around, spend this and do that and … suck up a news cycle for 48 or 72 hours. Or you can focus on the ticking time bomb that is going to blow this country up and make your children paupers.”