A Republican Sampler

Robber spends 10 minutes
on his knees praying with
crying clerk, robs her of $20.

Somewhere today I saw a comment that the Republican Party was rapidly becoming the party of semi-lunacy (or something to that effect). I started looking at some recent Republican quotes that tend to make me believe there is something to this claim:

“As a veteran, I believe that any veteran lending their name, to promote the leftist propaganda of global warming and climate change, in an effort to control more of the wealth created in our economy, through cap and tax type policies, all in the name of national security, is a traitor to the oath he or she took to defend the Constitution of our great nation!” Mr. Metcalfe’s email reads. “Remember Benedict Arnold before giving credibility to a veteran who uses their service as a means to promote a leftist agenda. Drill Baby Drill!!!”
Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, Pennsylvania

Two Republican party chairmen from South Carolina, in trying to defend Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) practice of not using earmarks, said DeMint "is watching our nation's pennies," just like "the Jews who are wealthy."
O. Merwin and James S. Ulmer

"Little children will be forced to learn that homosexuality is normal and natural and perhaps they should try it."Senator Michele Bachmann, Minnesota

"As I said on the Senate floor on July 28, 2003, "much of the debate over global warming is predicated on fear, rather than science." I called the threat of catastrophic global warming the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people," a statement that, to put it mildly, was not viewed kindly by environmental extremists and their elitist organizations."
James Inhofe, Oklahoma

It is a real shame that America doesn't have a real president in the White House, and is instead subjected to the racist rants of a drug-damaged community organizer from politically-corrupt Chicago.
RNC Michael Steele

“If the Soviet empire still existed, I'd be terrified. The fact is, we can afford a fairly ignorant presidency now.
Newt Gingrich

There are moral absolutes and that God's law indeed is there to protect you from yourself, and there are consequences if you breach that. This press conference is a consequence.
Governor Mark Sanford, South Carolina

“That marriage is the union between a man and a woman is a truth known to each one of us already, and any attempt to allow same-sex marriages is a detriment to the family unit and hurts our state and nation.”
Rick Perry, Texas

They are also building schools for the Afghan children so that there is hope and opportunity in our neighboring country of Afghanistan.
Sarah Palin, ex-Governor, Alaska

Our goals in Afghanistan are reasonable, but they cannot be achieved if we significantly reduce our military presence in the country at this critical juncture. We must remember that the safety and security of the American people and our allies are at stake. We abandon our long-term interests in this strategic region at our own peril.
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), House minority whip.

Ronald Reagan's vision of smaller government, less taxes, and a strong national defense has led to a prosperous America. As president, he rebuilt our military and reinvigorated our confidence in ourselves. David Vitter, Louisiana

“Michael Moore is free to denounce every manifestation of American foreign policy; is he not? And we are upholding his right to do so, as ridiculous and inane and asinine as his comments are.”
Senator Orrin Hatch, Utah

Why all these Marxists in the Administration? Why do all have coincidentally reflective of these Marxist views. Senator George LeMieux, Florida

We should not have a government program that determines if you're going to pull the plug on grandma." Senator Grassley, Iowa

How can you spend hundreds of millions of dollars on contraceptives? How does that stimulate the economy?”
John Boehner, Ohio

Some people, for some reason, seem afraid to admit it, but the fact of the matter is that American health care is the envy of many, many people around the world. And Americans don’t want to lose it. That’s why Americans are telling us that we can reform health care without bankrupting the country or destroying what's so unique and special about our current system. That’s why a growing number of politicians in Washington are hearing the people’s concerns — and speaking out. And that’s why many of them are now urging the administration to take a different path.”
Senator Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

Senator Shelby said : “Well his father was Kenyan and they said he was born in Hawaii, but I haven’t seen any birth certificate. You have to be born in America to be president.”
Senator Richard Shelby, Alabama

Senator Kerry voted to undermine the troops in the field, and that is not only inexcusable, it is reprehensible.
Senator John Ensign, Nevada

By dragging out the decision-making process on our Afghanistan war strategy, the president has not only irritated the military and our allies and given our foes reason for optimism.
Senator Jeff Sessions, Alabama

You will notice that these quotes are by no means all from the more extreme members of the Republican ultra-right. They also represent a fairly decent cross-section of Republicans. They do not reflect other statements from Republicans that are even more questionable (or nonsensical), such as Michael Steele’s recent announcement that we don’t need comprehensive health care change, or Joe Wilson’s accusation that President Obama was lying, or the more outrageous blather by Limbaugh, Beck, and others. It would be possible to find many more of these comments if one had the ambition or desire to look for them. It is difficult at times, when trying to decipher Republican comments, to decide whether they are being made for purely political reasons, if they really believe what they are saying, or if they are just hopelessly stupid. Collectively, they represent to me either ignorance, stupidity, or naked partisanship. They also seem to validate the Republican claim to be the party of NO, as for the most part they are all negatives, confirming also that Republicans have no positive suggestions for anything. Is it any wonder that a mere 20% of Americans now admit to being Republicans?

LKBIQ:
Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.
George Bernard Shaw

TILT:
Thomas Wolfe is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.