Stupidest Story Of The Week: CDC Issues Eviction Moratorium

Both runners-up this week relate more to cultural issues, making the choice of this week’s winner an easy one since it’s significantly more impactful. Additionally, even though Cori Bush and Joy Behar may have missed out this week, I’ve consulted with political science experts who insist that both will have scores of opportunities for the top slot in the future.

Winner: CDC Issues Moratorium on Evictions Due to COVID

On Tuesday, the Biden Administration gave in to pressure from House Democrats as the CDC announced a moratorium on evicting renters across most of the country, and cited the COVID non-pandemic as the reason. For those tut-tutting about this choice, while making the argument that this story is scary, not stupid, I disagree. It’s both scary and stupid. And the stupidity far outweighs the scariness.

Arguments that the CDC’s actions are scary include the following:

• The CDC has absolutely no authority to enact such a policy, and President Joe Biden admitted as much when he doubted whether such a directive was even constitutional. But he did it anyway. And what do we call a situation where unelected officials like those in the CDC can implement whatever the hell they want despite not having the right? We call that a dictatorship.
• The brazenness with which they took this step is alarming. Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Biden both essentially shrugged their shoulders at the idea they were doing anything wrong. Constitution be damned.
• The level of disdain Biden and other Democrats have for fellow Americans who happen to be landlords is breathtaking. This action is nothing but class welfare and wholly aligned with socialist ideology; plain and simple.

But now, let’s consider the extensive inanities which accompany the CDC’s order, and the reasons for it being this week’s selection:

• The CDC is an acronym for The Centers for Disease Control. Instead of originating with an agency that should be focused on fungi, viruses, and bacteria, shouldn’t a policy on landlords evicting renters come from a more appropriate department? Say perhaps… oh, I don’t know… the Department of Housing and Urban Development? Does anyone still believe our government’s COVID response is really about COVID?
• The logic for the move, apparently, is that the economic impact due to COVID is so severe that the government needs to intervene on behalf of delinquent renters. But Biden and Psaki have been hammering away at the idea that our economy is thriving. Pay no attention to inflation and employment data, everything is great, you see. So, if our economy is doing so well, why wouldn’t people be able to pay their rent, Joe?
• Geniuses on the left are constantly lamenting America’s homelessness problem. Homelessness generally results from not enough homes and too many people looking to occupy them: supply and demand. Is there a better way from discouraging potential real estate investors from becoming landlords than to have our president issue an edict telling renters they can skip paying their rent this month?
• Part of the CDC’s mandate includes this head-scratcher: “Landlords in violation of the moratorium may be subject to a fine of up to $100,000, one year in jail, or both; the fine increases to $250,000 if the violation results in the death of a tenant.” So, the obvious question is, how exactly does a tenant being evicted suffer death as a result? Your landlord kicks your freeloading ass out on the street, you walk down the sidewalk and then, wham, you die of COVID? This really is one versatile virus.
• While new COVID cases are up, purportedly due to the Delta Variant of the virus, hospitalizations and deaths continue to be very manageable. Deaths due to COVID across the country continue to average about 350 deaths per day and appear to be on the decline. That number is a full order of magnitude less than what we experienced during the peak of the pandemic.

The CDC’s moratorium is undoubtedly unconstitutional and will be struck down in the courts. Biden and Democrats are betting that the moratorium will have expired by that point however, and they’ll score some political points with their leftist base in the meantime. But make no mistake: The CDC’s mandate is a solution in search of a problem. The COVID pandemic is over, and Democrats can feel that power over us they tasted with their COVID tyranny slipping away. They want COVID. They need COVID. And they don’t care how ridiculous they look or sound in making that fact known.

Honorable Mention #1: Defund the Police Backer Cori Bush Has Private Security Detail

Straight from the list of ‘Things You Can’t Make Up’ comes this story regarding Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO). Bush, the vocal BLM activist who was somehow elected and then became a member of The Squad without even being required to audition (a situation in serious need of investigation, incidentally), unleashed this whopper on Wednesday. In the same statement, Bush defended her hiring of private security personnel, explaining, “I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life,” and then seconds later doubled-down on police defunding by demanding, “Defunding the police has to happen.” Keep electing buffoons like this one, Democrats. Please.

Honorable Mention #2: Joy Behar (No Other Clarification Needed, Just Her Name)

There are two statements that would justify Behar’s place here this week, the first of which was Behar’s contention on Tuesday that Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is a “negligent, homicidal sociopath” for presumably being the best governor in the country, hands down. But even more idiotic from the daytime talk show clown was this beauty, when Behar tried to rationalize why Vice-President Kamala Harris’ approval ratings are plummeting. “What is different about her that we haven’t seen before? What could it be?” Behar asked. “Oh, that’s right. She’s a woman and she’s Black. I almost forgot.” Or, Joy, perhaps the reason Harris has the lowest approval ratings of any vice-president since the 1970s is because she’s awful at her job and is almost as annoying as you are. Maybe.

Photo by Steve Rhodes at Flickr.