Bestselling author Thomas Frank, who previously wrote a book telling people that he knew what's better for them than they do, has now written a book called "The Wrecking Crew," in which he takes his question-begging sideshow to the next level, proclaiming that conservatives are wrong because he says so.

Again, as before, it's not as though he has no points at all (although he misdirects his attacks at large government against "conservatives," when actual conservatives argue that the people responsible for such things are NOT conservatives). But his real problem is that he has no actual argument to tie it all together. He said on The Colbert Report that it is a "redefinition" of "government" to say that "[federal] government isn't about looking after the general welfare ... the problem is that's not what we have the elections about, that's not what they were elected to do."

Colbert asked, "What were they elected to do?" Frank ignorantly replied, "I'd start with enforcing the laws."

You see, that's funny, because when Frank was talking about blanket federal government care of the general welfare, I was thinking about the fact that such a thing is illegal according to the highest law we have, the Constitution.

Colbert joked about how labor laws are subject entirely to personal interpretation, and Frank guffawed. But that is precisely what you have to believe in order to intellectually accept his view: that the Constitution is not objectively interpretable, that laws do not have to mean what they say. That's the only way you can think that most, if not all, of his desired social programs are not unconstitutional.

On Colbert, Frank extended his themes self-righteousness a little bit further than before. Colbert was talking against wealth redistribution, and Frank responded, "there was a time when a lot of people shared your view on this." "A lot of people share my views now, sir," Colbert responded.

Frank followed, "Maybe so, but hopefully it's not the people who vote." Colbert and his audience went virtually silent at that point, and even a few boos were elicited from the audience. (You know you've crossed the line from "leftwing" to "commie fascist" when you're getting booed for being too far left on Colbert.)

So, here's Thomas Frank's message in a nutshell: I am right because I am right, even when it comes to your own personal life, and if you disagree you're wrong and shouldn't vote.

Cross-posted on <pudge/*>.