Debt ceiling

Nerd Alert: GOP Drops Star Wars, Tolkien References In Debt Fight

Benjy Sarlin | July 29, 2011, 5:50AM

Maybe it's the epic scale of Congress' debt limit fight or just politicians' natural geekiness coming out, but the last week is producing more fantasy and science fiction references than a Kevin Smith movie.

The Wall Street Journal got the ball rolling with a Lord Of The Rings themed editorial comparing Tea Partiers to Frodo and the gang:

"The idea seems to be that if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling, a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue, and the public will turn en masse against . . . Barack Obama. The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced-budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the Tea Party Hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor."

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