Go Issa!

New Yorker attempts suicide by
jumping from his apartment,
is saved by uncollected garbage.

Weird creatures, these Republicans: Congressman Darrell Issa, now that he has found himself in a position of power, is obviously out to make the most of it (including getting as much publicity as possible). As Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform he is determined to investigate just about everything he can about the Obama administration that he has already labeled as the most corrupt in a long time (Wow! If the Obama administration has been corrupt what was the Bush/Cheney administration?). Anyway, I am all for this. I want him to investigate our Attorney General, Holder, just as he says he is going to do. He is apparently going to ask Holder why he has not investigated whatever he has in mind that is not entirely clear to me. I want to be present when someone insists he ask Holder why he has not investigated the war crimes of Bush/Cheney? Issa, in his mad rush to fame, seems to be unaware that he is opening up possibilities that up until now have been allowed to be ignored. This is the Republican way. Clinton was careful not to investigate the elder Bush administration (remember Iran Contra), but Republicans returned the favor by investigating him in as underhanded and devious way as possible. Obama has declined to investigate the Bush/Cheney administration, even though they have admitted to terrible war crimes, and now the Republicans are going to return the favor by investigating him. I say, go for it Issa, let’s start investigating everything, especially all those things he seems to think are Obama’s problems but can almost surely be traced back to Bush/Cheney.

Another Republican that seems to have turned weird (maybe he’s always been weird) is Senator Lindsay Graham. He has now announced that not only should we establish permanent bases in Afghanistan, but the Afghans should have to “earn” them. To me this represents a viewpoint so completely out of touch with reality I wonder that perhaps he is on an early path to senility like his best buddy, John McCain. At best his belief represents the worst form of American imperialism, the most disgusting form of American paternalism, the most basic form of American racism, and an alarming ignorance of the Afghan public (to say nothing of the current U.S. national debt).

Then there are Republicans weirdos like Congressman Fred Upton who seems to think they might repeal health care, even though there is virtually no chance of this happening. I assume this is more to appeal to their “base” than anything else. As I believe something like 60% of the American Public either approves of the health care bill or wants it improved, I have to wonder what else could possibly be the motivation for such an apparent waste of time.

Of course there has never been any lack of Republican weirdos. Take for instance, Weird Joe Scarborough, who has apparently just reported that if he thought the U.S. government was on the wrong track he might run for President (he presumably believes he would be our savior, and I gather must not think we are on the wrong track). Newt Gingrich is an even worse case in point, a known hypocritical, phony intellectual, pontificating jerk, that changes positions like others change their underwear, and makes claim so patently absurd as to be utterly almost incomprehensible, somehow thinks he might run for President. And don’t forget Silly Sarah, the housewife from hell, who has parlayed her 15 minutes of fame into a fortune, and now threatens to maybe run for President (presumably if God tells her to). There is also Haley Barbour, the resident racist Governor of Mississippi, who would no doubt attract Black and Hispanic votes in record numbers (the least ever). There are lots of others as well, but I mention these in particular as they seem to be representative of individuals with such oversized egos they are unable to perceive their own limitations or even reality. I have often wondered why no one has seriously studied the question of ego when it comes to politicians. I suppose that anyone who lacks such an overblown ego just doesn’t run for office. Not only do they possess these super egos, I suspect they lack fully developed superegos as well. Where is the good Dr. Freud when we really need him?

LKBIQ:
Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.
Frank Leahy

TILT:
Deep-fried Spanish sardines are delicious!