Remember President Monkeybush (see also “Bush-Monkey”)? He was the 43rd president of the United States. He was a guy liberals didn’t like for lotsa reasons they were always eager to tell you about. One was his “cowboy diplomacy,” which ticked off countless valued allies of the U.S.
But Bush-Monkey’s most egregious offense was stupidity. “The man is dumber than dirt,” more than one learned liberal opined. Bush was so dumb, in fact, that a poster of “Bushisms,” examples of his mangling of the English language, was published.
Why this guy was soooo stupid that not once but twice did he insult the leader of his own party by resorting to the same insulting figure of speech about the state the man hails from to exemplify wanton spending.
Oh, wait a minute. It wasn’t Bush-Monkey who did that. It was Obama. . . Monkey? Last year, when he was trying to impress upon voters how reckless was the behavior of those money-grubbing, bonus-grabbing fat cats who spend other people’s money like — well, like Obama since taking the oath of office — he said, “You can’t get on corporate jets, you can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.”
The dig at Las Vegas was not lost on the Senate Majority Leader, a Nevadan. Nor was it lost on Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman or Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons, both of whom were insulted by Obama’s comment.
Look, the comment was unfortunate. There are a bajillion metaphors in English for spending money recklessly. And not all of them (viz., drunken sailor) need be offensive. For example, “spending like there’s no tomorrow” or “spending like it’s going out of style.”
So which of those alternative locutions did Obama select for a speech last Tuesday in Nashua, N.H., in which he was trying to emphasize the dangers of uncontrolled spending? None. What he said instead was, “You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” [Emphasis added]
This time Mayor Oscar Goodman wasn’t merely insulted. He was livid. According to the AP, he said that Obama is no friend to Las Vegas and would not be welcome in the city if he visits. “I’ll do everything I can to give him the boot,” Goodman said. “This president is a real slow learner.”
Slow learner? That’s pretty cruel. Is the mayor sure he wasn’t referring to George W. Bush?
Comments 15
gimme a frickn break, buddy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43wN23qvlbU
a big green 00 for this post.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:23 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXHaCEhOiWU
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:33 pm
@ CK MacLeod:
even your song was funnier than that.
back to (cleaning the) garage
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:38 pm
I was just going to delete it because I thought it was just too darn cruel… and funny. But, if you’re not going to hold it against me, I’ll leave it.
What was excessive in HP’s post? He stuck to the subject, didn’t go beyond the facts at all. I personally don’t take offense at the Prez’s comments, but they ARE dumb.
What with Rahm doubling down on “retard” humor for him, with the compulsive bowing, with this doubling down on LV, I’m looking forward to a repeat, sometime soon, of the “bitter clinger” remark.
You can’t jump over your own shadow. Character will out. The Prez really does lack the common touch, and every time he tries to relax and talk normal, he reveals himself, both what some people like about him, and what a lot of people don’t – and where he comes from and who he really is.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
@ CK MacLeod:
Nicely said, your czarship. As for your frog, don’t come here asking for a break.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
@ CK MacLeod:
Nothing was excessive in Howard’s post.
Far, far, faaaaaaaaaaaaaar from excessive
electron microscopy far from it.
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Peter Griffith is the White House press secretary right, his boss has believed he was in Sunshine, Florida, one of the 57 states, some distance from the one where they dropped the bomb on Pearl Harbor.
He has a solid understanding of the profits/earnings ratio, and believes that doctors like the Phillipine aswang, amputate limbs, and remove tonsils, that’s just some of his greatest hits from K-tel, after you, Sr. Rana
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
@ Howard Portnoy:
When you’re good. I’m happy to bang a gong for you.
This post, not so much…….
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3339967145_36c67368e0.jpg
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:05 pm
@ narciso:
K-tel still haunting the 3AM airwaves?
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Excellent post Howard; but I’m suffering from cognitive dissonance here, now that I’ve stopped laughing over that Family Guy video in which the frog had four holes positioned about the same as the buttons on a certain frog who’s been gibbering awfully loudly about the post.
Why cognitive dissonance? President Obama graduated from Harvard and Columbia; so he can’t be stupid or dozens of professors would surely have noticed. Plus, he was selected to be editor of the law review, so he must be brilliant. And he’s a brilliant constitutional law scholar, for he called out the very supreme court the other day.
So why does he say damn fool things?
I think someone, probably that O’Keefe fellow, has wiretapped into his teleprompter.
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:28 pm
@ Sully:
Actually, Sully, his reaction to the most recent AIG bonuses suggests that I — or his teachers at those Ivy League institutions — were far too charitable. As a “constitutional scholar,” which part of contractual obligation does he not understand — especially since some of these bonuses, which were legitimately earned for hard work, are 4 and 5 figures?
Is this poor schmuck really THAT clueless or is he just a stuck record (stuck on very liberal)?
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:23 pm
0slash is not what we high intellektuals call an authentic person.
He wakes up each morning surprised that he’s still President, pinches himself and makes it up as he goes throughout each day. He surrounds himself with an adoring staff and special Chicago friends who worship him and fly down to be with him at Camp David on the weekends. They egg him on, feed his ego and his anger, so a lot of this conceit comes dripping out of his supposedly golden mouth.
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Clearly what OSlash should have said is: “When you’re trying to save for college, you should consider frequent weekend visits to Las Vegas (that would be Las Vegas, Nevada, airport code LAS, Chamber of Commerce website at http://www.lvchamber.com, that’s http://www.lvchamber.com, and don’t forget to check out http://www.vegas.com, that’s http://www.vegas.com, the OFFICIAL LAS VEGAS TRAVEL WEBSITE).”
Can’t find an emoticon with a smart-ass smirk on its face.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
J.E. Dyer wrote:
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I was thinking….
http://www.exposay.com/celebrity-photos/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-iii-los-angeles-premiere-arrivals-0eeLE7.jpg
of Rain Man.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:33 pm