Gail Collins: A Bad Year to Be a Mallard

[babylonsister]

A Bad Year to Be a Mallard


By GAIL COLLINS
Published: February 23, 2008

“I shot a banded duck,” said Hillary Clinton.

Who says we have heard everything there conceivably could be to say from the presidential candidates?

There is something about an election year that makes politicians start bragging about how many furry or feathered critters they’ve killed. Otherwise, God forbid, voters might think they were interested in doing something about gun control.

So far, the most memorable gun comments during this campaign have been:

“I’m pretty sure there will be duck hunting in heaven, and I can’t wait.” — Mike Huckabee

“I’ve been a hunter pretty much all my life.” — Mitt Romney

“I’ve always been a rodent and rabbit hunter. Small varmints if you will.” — Mitt Romney, amending the record once it was pointed out that he had never had a hunting license.

“Maybe he can get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his yard.” — John McCain

“My father taught me to shoot 100 years ago.” — Hillary Clinton

This last, which we believe to be a slight exaggeration, came last week in Wisconsin. At another stop, when someone asked about gun control, Clinton told a story about how she went duck-hunting when she lived in Arkansas, and how the rest of her group, all male, made her shoot first in an effort to embarrass her.

Thence followed a happy ending for everybody except the duck.


more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/opinion/23collins.html?ref=todayspaper

[Buzz Clik]

1. What happened to the good old days when politicians carried swords?

[Demeter]

3. Or Canes

and assaulted each other on the floor of Congress?

[Demeter]

2. Too Bad--Cheney's Got Them All Beat

with the lawyer he bagged.