I’m certain quite a few serious-minded Republicans, those
who are still interested in winning elections, are still shaking their heads
over the big stage given to GOP fringies (wacko birds, as John McCain famously
labeled them) on the Sunday morning TV news shows.
who are still interested in winning elections, are still shaking their heads
over the big stage given to GOP fringies (wacko birds, as John McCain famously
labeled them) on the Sunday morning TV news shows.
As stunning as it was to see a loose cannon like Congressman
Louie Gohmert on the roundtable discussion at ABC’s This Week, (what was
Louie Gohmert on the roundtable discussion at ABC’s This Week, (what was
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| Gohmert |
Stephanopoulos
thinking?) it was beyond bizarre that Gohmert’s appearance was preceded by a
story on Iowa presidential campaigning for 2016 that featured an interview with
Donald Trump.
Trump, of course, looked and sounded like a fool. Gohmert
was Gohmert – not much more damaging to the GOP than the many times
ultraliberal Democrat Katrina Vanden Heuvel has appeared on the This Week panel
and complained that President Obama must become more of a leftist.
was Gohmert – not much more damaging to the GOP than the many times
ultraliberal Democrat Katrina Vanden Heuvel has appeared on the This Week panel
and complained that President Obama must become more of a leftist.
But the GOP hit the Sunday morning trifecta when
Congressman Steve King of Iowa – an annual rival of Michele Bachmann for the
Congressman Steve King of Iowa – an annual rival of Michele Bachmann for the
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| King |
dumbest quote of the year – was featured on NBC’s Meet The Press. King did the
right-wing proud by sticking to his racist comment about Hispanic drug
smugglers with calves the size of cantaloupes.
Of course, liberal Democrats are still giggling over this
whole mess the GOP stepped in.
whole mess the GOP stepped in.
Over at Salon, Jim Newell is still burping up a few fits
of laughter as he wonders aloud how the Republican leadership allowed this trio
to become the face of the GOP at a time when Obama’s approval ratings are
slipping and Congress is headed for some key showdowns.
of laughter as he wonders aloud how the Republican leadership allowed this trio
to become the face of the GOP at a time when Obama’s approval ratings are
slipping and Congress is headed for some key showdowns.
Newell calls Gohmert “the flat-out dumbest member of the
congressional GOP” and delights in the Texas Republican’s apparent ignorance
about the rapidly growing number of uninsured Americans over the past two
decades. A supporter of GOP plans to shut down the government, Gohmert challenged
Obama’s suggestion that the GOP is trying to prevent 30 million people from
getting health care coverage by trying to block
funding for Obamacare. In fact, he called it an
“absolute, blatant lie.” What? “Whether or not they have insurance under an exchange or not does not
prevent people from getting health care,”the congressman said
confidently.
congressional GOP” and delights in the Texas Republican’s apparent ignorance
about the rapidly growing number of uninsured Americans over the past two
decades. A supporter of GOP plans to shut down the government, Gohmert challenged
Obama’s suggestion that the GOP is trying to prevent 30 million people from
getting health care coverage by trying to block
funding for Obamacare. In fact, he called it an
“absolute, blatant lie.” What? “Whether or not they have insurance under an exchange or not does not
prevent people from getting health care,”the congressman said
confidently.
And then we have the clownish Trump, who claims he would
spend out of pocket “whatever it takes” if he decides to run for the Republican
presidential nomination in ’16. Trump told ABC that he’s still not convinced
that Obama’s birth certificate is real and that the president was born in the
United States.
spend out of pocket “whatever it takes” if he decides to run for the Republican
presidential nomination in ’16. Trump told ABC that he’s still not convinced
that Obama’s birth certificate is real and that the president was born in the
United States.
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| Trump |
But when asked if GOP Sen. Ted Cruz, who is making noises
about a presidential run though he was clearly born in Canada, is eligible to
serve in the White House, Trump seemed far less animated.
about a presidential run though he was clearly born in Canada, is eligible to
serve in the White House, Trump seemed far less animated.
“If he was born in Canada, perhaps not.” Trump told ABC’s
Jonathan Karl.
Jonathan Karl.
“I don’t know the circumstances. I heard, somebody
told me, he was born in Canada. That’s really his thing,” Trump added.
told me, he was born in Canada. That’s really his thing,” Trump added.
