From the “you just can’t make this stuff up department“, something so outrageously stupid, you wonder how the Navy Admiral being interviewed by congressman Hank Johnson (D) GA kept himself from busting out laughing.
It should be an April fools joke, but isn’t. Watch the video below.
h/t to Bruce F.
Yesterday, in commenting on another WUWT post, I said
“I’m tempted to nominate Joe Romm and Mark Serreze as candidate replacements for two of the Three Stooges, but decline to do so because (a) that would be unkind, and (b) it would be agonizing to choose a third from the pool of available climate scientists.”
It may be better to consider Mr. Johnson as the leading candidate for Number 3.
Paul (11:50:17) :
I had to check his quals on his web page. Of course he was a judge… this makes me feel better for those he sentenced:
This reminds me of a (true life) story… Nearby small town judge with a huge DUI record gets pulled over once again. Officer asks him – Sir, do you know how fast you were going through the center of town? Uh, no, officer, how fast?
TWO the officer replies to the hammered judge. It was the ongoing joke that if you ever got pulled over a little buzzed, you could tell the ossifer “I’m as sober as a Judge”… Judge Murray, that is.
All joking aside, our government is filled with folks like this, people who couldn’t pass the most feeble science class. You might be familiar with one in particular. No amount of dementia can produce such a spectacle. Government seems to be the perfect attractor when it comes to ineptitude.
That the admiral kept a straight face, maintained his composure and replied in a polite, deferential manner makes me swell with pride at the quality, caliber and discipline of the people in our armed forces.
I wonder how he’ll vote on the Capsize and Trade bill?
Maybe he can get help under Obamacare (in four years when it starts).
It’s probably too late to primary the gentleman, so we’ll learn about the district he comes from. Dime to a nickel says they re-elect him.
Hank Johnson is a moron.
OT
The evil progressive lib environmentalists are so violent.
How To Strangle A Climate Skeptic (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/01/how-to-strangle-a-climate_n_521478.html
Hank Johnson is from the State of Georgia, home to the Okefenokee Swamp. The swamp has floating islands :
http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/okefenokee_swamp/natural_history/index.html
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-649
The trees on the islands move and is said to be the origin of the name.
In any case, one can easily understand where from come the ideas of the Congressman.
Jerry Lee Davis (17:13:08) – Agreed , and Johnson should be Moe – the “smart one” .
Pamela Gray (16:58:36) :
We should put up an initiative that tests the Congressmen for general knowledge and mental impairment. If they are not of sound body & mind or display competence, they can’t sit in the drivers seat.
I wonder how many in Congress are below par (marshmallow votes)?
The official explanation posted by Congressman Hank Johnson on his web site:
“The subtle humor of this obviously metaphorical reference to a ship capsizing illustrated my concern about the impact of the planned military buildup on this small tropical island.”
He could have used the “medical condition” excuse and dodged most of the flak, but instead he invokes the “subtle humor” excuse. What a moron!
DR (15:21:26) : “Is it my imagination or does one side of the political spectrum in Congress have a monopoly on saying dumb things?”
Well, don’t forget that the republicans had to cope with the fact that Dan Quayle was VP
in the Bush Sr years…
http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Dan_Quayle
Some examples…
“Welcome President Bush, Mrs. Bush, and my fellow astronauts.”
“It’s time for the human race to enter the solar system.”
“The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nation’s history. I mean in this century’s history. But we all lived in this century. I didn’t live in this century.”
All I can say is… Thank god Bush Sr didn’t die when he was president!
April 1st, the day for some silliness:
Dateline Oakland, California, USA: Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert, however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact; it is an anti-catalyst. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from four days to four years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates away exactly as much energy as Governmentium, since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.
******
Actual headlines from 1996 [compiled by the S.J. Mercury-News]:
Include Your Children when Baking Cookies
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
Panda Mating Fails; Vetrinarian Takes Over
Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
Clinton Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead
Plane too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
Miners Refuse to Work After Death
Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years in Checkout Counter
If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Chef Throws His Heart Into Helping Feed Needy
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
.
.
Guam tipping; AGW; Islam, a religion of peace; corpsemen –all part of the Age of Hilarious.
The final, incoherent gasps of a Nation.
.
.
We have it posted on Common Cents as well. Too funny!!!
http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com
Cathy (17:36:54) :
That the admiral kept a straight face, maintained his composure and replied in a polite, deferential manner makes me swell with pride at the quality, caliber and discipline of the people in our armed forces.
This might be considered admirable given the obviously compromised situation, but in a similar place with a qualified witness, I would much rather have a legendary soldier like Oliver North relentlessly take down the representative or senator with facts. That is the true face of quality, caliber, and discipline. And another word. Honor.
“DR (15:21:26) :
Is it my imagination or does one side of the political spectrum in Congress have a monopoly on saying dumb things?”
That would be your imagination.
I know from long, sad experience that that Repugnicans can be just as stupid.
“Smokey (18:04:57) :
[…]
Actual headlines from 1996 [compiled by the S.J. Mercury-News]: ”
Very funny! But keep in mind that the journos do this deliberately, it’s the fun part of their job.
“Michael (17:39:58) :
OT
The evil progressive lib environmentalists are so violent.
How To Strangle A Climate Skeptic (VIDEO)”
The tutorial contains a difficult step: They say “Use solid logic [when talking to the sceptic]”.
This rules out any attempt to convince someone of AGW. They should have said something like: “Use imprecise representations of atmospheric physics, made-up data and any other dirty trick that comes to your mind. Look into the IPCC AR4 for examples.”
I hope people realize that those “quotes” and compiled “headlines” are often fabricated, incorrectly attributed, or come from pretty much anywhere including local community newsletters.
But I have to say, if you have a debilitating illness eating away at you, or the treatments are, STEP DOWN FROM PUBLIC OFFICE. You are doing your constituents no favors. You’re doing your party no favors. Just grow a pair, man up, and step aside for someone else. It’s not that difficult to do. Unless, of course, you’re USING your problem to sucker some votes. But hey, nobody would ever use an illness or their wife’s cancer or anything like that for political gain, right?
It is clear he feeding bull in what he says. “Least widest”? The word is narrowest.
If he was caring and rational he would step down. Islands are not floating. Capsizing is something that is possible if an object is floating in a liquid. His constituents are entitled to a strong representative. There are of course several that seem to have their judgement imparied with alcohol. We have not run out of people that are healthy and capable. He would fit in working with James Hansen.Did he go to Hawvud?
—
If Mr. Johnson is genuinely medically impaired, why the heck is he not removed – temporarily or permanently – from public office as the result of this debilitation?
A military officer would be so removed, certainly, and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives is a good deal higher in responsibility than is any military officer.
—
Smokey (18:04:57)
A famous WW2 headline from a UK newspaper was: “Eighth Army push bottles up Germans”.
Guam is 209 sq miles
Manhattan island is 20 sq miles. He needs to worry about it tipping. Surely he can see it is over loaded and may capsize.
What we really need to think about is getting the morons out of congress in November.
[There’s a post on that 3 days ago and we have a tips section. Please use it next time. ~ ctm]