I often joke about Opposite World, as it is all to often the case that we seem to be living in a place where everything is just wrong. But when in opposite world, one can at least find some semblance of reason – misguided as it may be. In the case of Texas four-term Congressman Louie Gohmert, there is no line of reasoning that can help us figure out what the hell he is talking about!
Yes, Gohmert was a runner-up in Bill Maher’s “America’s Craziest Congressperson” contest, for good reason. But his performance in yesterday’s House Judiciary hearing with Attorney General Eric Holder left me scratching my head and asking “WTF?”
Apparently Gohmert had been questioning Holder about the Boston Marathon bombing and investigation, and asserted some “facts” about the FBI’s actions for which he had no basis in fact. When Holder attempted to point out those facts, the idiot missing from a village in Texas claimed a “Point of Personal Privilege” (in parliamentary proceedings, when someone has described your position on an issue – by naming you specifically – and has misstated your viewpoint. If this happens, it’s appropriate to correct it using a point of personal privilege) when it probably should have been the other way around.
The chairman of the Judiciary committee, Republican Bob Goodlatte of VA, looked as if he was trying not to laugh while responding to Gohmert’s declaration that Holder “cast aspersions on my asparagus”! Watch it for yourself (protestations begin at around the 5:00 point, and the asparagus exasperation comes at about 8:57).
Sadly, no one asked what he meant!
Big thanks to Gohmert’s staff for posting that video on their YouTube page with the headline “Gohmert Grills Holder on FBI Probe of Boston Bomber”. I wonder if they grilled his asparagus too?
Today on the show, I had hoped to get Jason Leopold on the phone from Guantanamo Bay, but I screwed up on the scheduling. He’ll give us a good wrap-up of his visit next week But over the weekend, you should read his two latest pieces for Al Jazeera English on Gitmo and the hunger striking prisoners: “Revised Guantanamo Force Feed Policy Exposed” and “New Guantanamo Policy: ‘Genital Patdown‘”.
Julianna Forlano joined in to marvel at the insanity – or absurdity – all around us.
We also checked in with Mark Glaze, executive director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to find out what comes next in the fight for sensible gun regulations. We keep pushing!
Have a great weekend… Talk to you Monday, radio or not!
