crazy congressmen

February 20, 2007 8:33 AM

Congressmen gone crazy? Congressman Ben Bridges says evolution is a myth spread by Jews. Alaskan Congressman Don Young says war opposers should be hung. Congressman Peter King accuses New York Times of committing treason. Rep. Robin Hayes says Iraqis should be converted to christianity. Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode says muslims shouldn't be allowed to enter the country. Oregon Congressman David Wu uncovers an alien plot
posted by petsounds (54 comments total)

Well, I oppose the war, and I'm hung.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:36 AM on February 20, 2007 [14 favorites]

Government by and for the people.


See? Democracy works!
posted by tkolar at 8:37 AM on February 20, 2007

Bridges is in the Georgia state legislature, not the U.S. Congress.
posted by gubo at 8:40 AM on February 20, 2007

It's always good to wind up with a joke, I wouldn't class David Wu's geeky metaphor with the others, which unfortunately don't admit of any conclusion but that they're serious.
posted by George_Spiggott at 8:44 AM on February 20, 2007

Let me know when they go wild, as I have my video camera at the ready.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:46 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Everyone is a little crazy, why should Congressmen be any different? Considering the considerable effort and money required, not to mention selling your soul, I'd expect they would be more crazy then most. And some of it is just hyperbole.

goodnewsfortheinsane wins.
posted by Bovine Love at 8:46 AM on February 20, 2007

Wu is a Democrat. Only Wu's "Vulcan" speech and State House member Bridges' "Pharisee" letter happened this year (earlier).

This seems sloppy to me, and faintly looks like a hatchet.
posted by dw at 8:46 AM on February 20, 2007

If you think they're crazy, you should see the laws they pass.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:48 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Well, they weren't called village idiots for nothing.
posted by lysdexic at 8:49 AM on February 20, 2007

There's got to be a better system than democracy. Can't I just take over for a while?
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:51 AM on February 20, 2007

-come on everbody.....give'em a break!! They are just trying to make a living....lots of competition these days!!
posted by OU812 at 8:51 AM on February 20, 2007

God I can't stand Peter bloody King.
posted by jamesonandwater at 8:52 AM on February 20, 2007

Everyone is a little crazy, why should Congressmen be any different?

Well, this is true, but their craziness influences goverment policy and affects lots of people.. mine just involves masturbating to late night kitchenware commercials
posted by petsounds at 8:53 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

didn't this already get posted?
posted by sswiller at 8:56 AM on February 20, 2007

Don't forget the coronation of King Moon on Capitol Hill.
posted by Kirklander at 8:57 AM on February 20, 2007

Yeah, it's a double. The Ben Bridges part anyway.
posted by Medieval Maven at 9:01 AM on February 20, 2007

Ok, for the Wu thing? There's a book called Rise Of The Vulcans, like the Roman god of fire. Bush's cabinet called themselves Vulcans.

He was having some fun (and making a pop culture reference that a lot of people get!) by playing off that. Sure it's funny- I think it's supposed to be- but he's not the space cadet you think he is.
posted by thethirdman at 9:01 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

If you think these guys are crazy, you should see the stuff the White House puts out. WMDlol
posted by DU at 9:02 AM on February 20, 2007 [2 favorites]

Arugh. Mispasted. THIS is the doubled post.
posted by Medieval Maven at 9:02 AM on February 20, 2007

Did The Times also commit treason when it "broke" the libelous Whitewater story?

Where was dipshit Peter King when that was going on?
posted by wfc123 at 9:04 AM on February 20, 2007

Even if the next one is really is the right link, Medieval Maven, we probably won't believe you anymore.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 9:05 AM on February 20, 2007

No kidding.

I swear to GOD I did the HTML myself the second time and it still rerouted to this page instead. It was a post a few days ago by grabbingsand.

I will now excuse myself to where all the Very Ashamed Mefites go. Wherever that is.
posted by Medieval Maven at 9:08 AM on February 20, 2007

I will now excuse myself to where all the Very Ashamed Mefites go. Wherever that is.

Google Answers.
posted by tkolar at 9:14 AM on February 20, 2007

I will now excuse myself to where all the Very Ashamed Mefites go. Wherever that is.

There are no Very Ashamed Mefites - but the Angry and Indignant ones go to MetaTalk.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 9:15 AM on February 20, 2007

I'm going to have to agree with George_S on the Star Trek speech. He's only guilty of having poor social skills...like so many of us Star Trek fans are...sigh.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:16 AM on February 20, 2007

I think Medieval Maven meant this.

(and I'm testing this weirdness.)

(Also, this is a lame post. Sorry, petsounds.)
posted by koeselitz at 9:16 AM on February 20, 2007

dw, sorry for the slopiness- should have checked other articles. Does hatchet mean falsely accuse? I didnt mean to do that. I had noticed a lot of "nutty congressman says.." things on reddit and thought they could be put together for a post
posted by petsounds at 9:18 AM on February 20, 2007

Everyone on Capitol Hill is crazy. I think it's something they put in the water. You have to be crazy to want a job in politics. That's part of the job description.

It's like saying firefighters are adrenaline junkies. Well, DUH! Why else would anyone wanna do that? Just out of chivalric duty? Just cuz it's the right thing to do? Pull the other one.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:20 AM on February 20, 2007

The David Wu speech is not at all like the other guys' transgressions. Putting him in their company makes it seem like he actually believes the White House is full of space aliens, which -- while hilarious -- is grievously inaccurate. He even described them as fake -- not actual -- Klingons.
posted by grobstein at 9:21 AM on February 20, 2007

Everyone on Capitol Hill is crazy.

So it should be easy to come up with a list of equally crazy stuff from Democrats, right? This isn't a snark, I'm genuinely curious as to whether there are examples of current Democrats saying things as stupid and offensive as, for example, Ben Bridge's comment.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 9:27 AM on February 20, 2007

Putting him in their company makes it seem like he actually believes the White House is full of space aliens, which -- while hilarious -- is grievously inaccurate. He even described them as fake -- not actual -- Klingons.

All true, but I think that the more accurate analogy he was looking for was to claim that there are "Mirror-Universe politicians in the White House."
posted by deanc at 9:28 AM on February 20, 2007

The forces that man our nuclear weapons are subjected to rigorous psychological screening and routine audits. Why aren't federal lawmakers and presidents required these same checks?
posted by Burhanistan at 9:31 AM on February 20, 2007

I think gubo's comment bears repeating: "Bridges is in the Georgia state legislature, not the U.S. Congress."

Not that there aren't people in the US Capitol who equal him in terms of whack-jobness. Immediate example that pops to mind is the Honorable Ted Stevens.
posted by blucevalo at 9:32 AM on February 20, 2007

I think some people in Washington need to stop drafting legislation and START PUTTING THEM ON THE GLASS.
posted by The Straightener at 9:40 AM on February 20, 2007

Sorry, putting what on the glass?
posted by Burhanistan at 9:45 AM on February 20, 2007

Oh, you know.
posted by The Straightener at 9:47 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm genuinely curious as to whether there are examples of current Democrats saying things as stupid and offensive

Well, I found Pelosi's saying that "impeachment is off the table" both stupid and offensive.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:47 AM on February 20, 2007

I'll just keep this bookmarked for those times that I encounter people who believe authority figures should never be questioned.

That is all.
posted by davejay at 9:56 AM on February 20, 2007

Hang the traitors!
posted by homunculus at 9:58 AM on February 20, 2007

Pelosi's "impeachment is off the table" was not stupid. Clearly she would love to impeach Bush, but she can't *look like* she came in with a hardon for him (if I can use that metaphor here). She has to make him force her hand. This surge nonsense looks like a great vehicle and she seems to be going about it just right.

I thought it was just a bunch of spineless posturing to hold a non-binding vote, but she has more legislation, *binding* legislation, *effective, surge-blocking* legislation lined up for after. If she can ("innocently") provoke a constitutional crisis, THEN she can impeach. Of course it'll be 2015 by then...
posted by DU at 9:58 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

Kirth Gerson, how dare you be so correct?
posted by Goofyy at 10:04 AM on February 20, 2007

Dammit, late again to another thread...goodnewsfortheinsane saw the obvious punchline.

'Sides, representative democracy, and all that. If we're gonna pick on state legislators too, didn't Tennessee try to make π = 22/7? Irrational lawmakers trying to rationalize irrational numbers?
posted by pax digita at 10:06 AM on February 20, 2007

DU: welcome to the thread. Maybe read it next time?
posted by tylermoody at 10:08 AM on February 20, 2007

Exactly why can't she "look like" she's loaded for bear and has the dubya in her sights?
posted by Goofyy at 10:12 AM on February 20, 2007

tylermoody: did you read the thread? DU was responding to Armitage Shanks.
posted by Goofyy at 10:15 AM on February 20, 2007

Because then the story is how mean and partisan Pelosi is (or worse, how the Democrats are just trying "get back at" the Republicans for impeaching Clinton over a blowjob, with all kinds of false equating of the issues).
posted by DU at 10:16 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

He even described them as fake -- not actual -- Klingons.

There are actual Klingons? I gotta get out more.
posted by owhydididoit at 10:17 AM on February 20, 2007

DU: Only to those who find things like dead bodies floating in American streets, and dead bodies rotting in Iraqi streets, and maimed soldiers rotting in Walter Reed as "irrelevant". And, I'm just guessing, but, maybe most Americans would understand at this point?
posted by Goofyy at 10:20 AM on February 20, 2007

Well, I found Pelosi's saying that "impeachment is off the table" both stupid and offensive.

OK, fair enough. Craven and pandering isn't really in the same league as "evolution is a myth started by Jews". What I'm really asking for is obvious nutjob stuff.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 10:26 AM on February 20, 2007

Aren't levels of crazy like this are usually followed up by... oh, I don't know... say... suicide in bunkers?
posted by boo_radley at 10:29 AM on February 20, 2007

Does hatchet mean falsely accuse?

No, it means you're picking on the GOP when there's just as much batshitinsane crap coming out of Dems on the Hill. And, well, it's kinda lazy stuff. LOLINTERNETISTUBES and such.

I mean, you could do an entire post on Jim Inhofe loaded with hisbatshitinsane rantings. (I'm kinda surprised no one has. But then, I went to school with one of his kids (maybe gay) and had another as a YoungLife leader (probably not gay)).

The Georgia guy with the flat earth and the "Pharisee religion" stuff, that was so strange it was deserving of the blue.
posted by dw at 10:30 AM on February 20, 2007

Traitors. Yes, you hang traitors.

George Washington was a traitor. He as also guilty of treason. So was John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Ben Franklin who observed that he and his fellow traitors had "better hang together or they would most certainly hang alone."
posted by three blind mice at 10:32 AM on February 20, 2007

well done, 3bm.
posted by boo_radley at 10:34 AM on February 20, 2007

...most Americans would understand at this point?

Just to be clear, are these the same Americans that voted again for GWB even after it was clear that he'd lied about WMDs? Also, the media you were envisioning getting the story out to those Americans--was it the same media that went along with calling John Kerry, multiply-decorated Vietman soldier, a coward compared to a bunch of draft dodgers?
posted by DU at 10:35 AM on February 20, 2007 [1 favorite]