Christmas Tree Tax, Or Republican Stupidity?

I go with the latter.  Christian Science Monitor:

USDA promotion and research boards are common, used by at least 18 other agricultural commodities. The Christmas tree industry petitioned to set up its own promotional program after years of concern about lost market share to the artificial Christmas tree industry. The NationalChristmas Tree Association said a majority of growers favored the petition.
Industries get the Agriculture Department involved to make sure the effort to promote their product is fair and unified. If the USDA eventually approves it, a board of industry representatives will make decisions on how to promote and research Christmas trees.
Conservative critics were unbowed. David Addington, a former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and now a vice president at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in a post on the think tank's website that the money coming into the federal government constitutes a tax.
"The American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn't need any help from the government," Addington said.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., piled on.
"This new tax is a smack in the face to each and every American who celebrates Christmas, and may be the best example to date of President Obama's obsession with taxing and regulating hard-working American families," he said.

So the Christmas Tree Association proposes a checkoff program of 15 cents per tree sold, and Republicans are bitching about a Christmas Tree Tax.  I've got to say, I usually buy a pretty cheap tree when I buy one, and it's usually $20-30.  Is 15 cents noticable?  No, but that won't prevent Republicans from sounding like total dumbasses.  What the f--- is wrong with these people?  It's pretty common in agriculture to have a checkoff program, and this is an industry group proposing it.  The right-wing noise machine has completely cut all ties to reality at this point.  War on Christmas, indeed.  More like a Republican war on reason.