Inhofe Gets Hysterical (Again)

[babylonsister]

I read stuff like this and wonder about the value of a mental proficiency test at the start of every Congressional year.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_05/018147.php


INHOFE GETS HYSTERICAL (AGAIN).... I often feel bad for Americans who are represented by lawmakers who've gone mad. When folks who don't know better hear a U.S. senator insist publicly that something is true, they might not realize their elected official is a nut. The deceptive argument necessarily comes with some credibility, by virtue of the office. (So-and-so can't be completely crazy; he's a senator.)

Take Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), for example, who reportedly told a group of constituents the other day that President Obama intends to let "hard-core terrorists" run "loose in the United States."

"There are 245 hard-core terrorists that would be turned loose in the United States and one of the locations where they would be putting them is Fort Sill," Inhofe told a gathering of constituents, according to the Ada Evening News. "You turn these people loose and they become magnets for terrorism all over the country."

Now, those constituents may not realize that Inhofe is mad as a hatter, and that his claims are ridiculous. No one is talking about turning terrorists loose in the country. Inhofe may or may not realize this -- the poor guy is pretty far gone -- but it's clearly an argument detached from reality.

But what about those Oklahomans who don't know this? It's not like Inhofe walks around with a reality-based fact-checker at all times (now there's an idea...), helping audiences separate fact from fiction. For them, there's at least a possibility that the president intends to let hard-core terrorists loose in our country. There might be at least something to this, they might assume, since a long-time U.S. Senator just told them it's true. (The local newspaper covering Inhofe's speech ran the senator's quotes, but made no effort to tell the reader why the quotes are wrong.)

Inhofe added that the president, after just three months in office, has already "completely devastated" the U.S. military, in part because the president "just doesn't believe that we need a military."

Inhofe neglected to mention that Obama plans to increase military spending from $513 billion under Bush to $534 billion in 2010. It probably just slipped his mind.

-Steve Benen

[firedupdem]

1. Ridiculous! These people are disgusting. I hate that they are

voted into office time and time again.

[bluestateguy]

2. It's not patriotic to criticize the president

Being an American means standing with your president, and your government.

[pdxmom]

3. Fort Sill? The terrorists are all going to converge on a highly secure

military base? I don't see a bunch of terrorists converging on Butner, NC, where the Blind Sheik is being held.

Inhofe is a nut.

[Winterblues]

4. The same Senator that was "Outraged at the Outrage" over

Torture. He is outraged that anyone would be outraged that our people would torture..

[konnichi wa]

5. I once was fairly well if casually acquainted with him...he has been shithouse nuts for years.

If he weren't a U.S Senator, we'd just pity him.

[DCKit]

6. But are the people who need to read this going to be able to find it?

Preaching to the choir - like publishing this article in Washington Monthly - is mutual masturbation. Meanwhile, the congregation is stuck in the intellectual wilderness where whatever Jimmy says is published (unchallenged) verbatim by the local M$M. Hell, the national M$M doesn't even debate his antics, despite the fact that the man is a running joke among most sentient organisms and a golden opportunity for any budding comedian.

Like his pals Vitter and Craig, all Inhofe is lacking is lots more exposure. We should all do our bit to make sure he gets it.

[babylonsister]

7. That is the problem, isn't it.

You just know fr won't be posting anything similar to this.

[KatyaR]

8. The problem is that people in Oklahoma LOVE him.

If he runs for governor next election, I think he'll win in a landslide. Most people believe pretty much everything he says, and I think most here hate President Obama, so he has that going for him, too. The terrorist angle works really well in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma has turned into Fundy Nutjob Central. The state Legislature has passed a bill allowing a Repuke House member to spend $10,000 of his own money to put up a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of the state Capital--even though this goes against the state Constitution! If Governor Henry vetoes it, we'll end up with it anyway. Even the majority of the Democrats voted for it. Judging from the public comments, there are some seriously messed-up people in this state.

I've lived here my entire life, loved my state, but the last couple of years I have just become so sad at what's happening here. I'm quite afraid for my future if I stay here, which I will because I can't afford to go anywhere else.