It’s time for another Gooberhead Award – presented periodically to those in the news who have their tongues running 100-miles-an-hour, but forgot to put their brains in gear.
Today, I’ve got two goobers from last year’s tea bag uprising, both of whom got elected by promising to bring common sense to Congress and take government back from the special interests. Goober Number One is Arizona’s Ben Quayle, the son of Dan – and truly a flake off the old block. Ben has proven to be a stand up guy – not for the folks, but for Big Oil. While voting to slash government programs to help the elderly and the poor, he has voted not once but twice to keep giving $2 billion in annual tax subsidies to the five richest oil corporations.
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In a town hall meeting back home, a feisty lady asked him, “Why?” Ben essentially called her ignorant, insisting that Big Oil was merely getting the same tax deductions that all corporations get – “It’s not specific to the oil industry,” he said. To which the audience burst out laughing. They were right to guffaw, for tax giveaways called “Intangible Drilling Costs” and “Enhanced Oil Recovery Costs” are obviously specific to that industry. Is Ben lying… or just a goober?
Our second awardee is Sean Duffy of Wisconsin, who campaigned as a regular guy. But asked at a town hall gathering whether he’d vote to cut congressional pay as a symbolic stand with his hard hit constituents, Sean fell into a paroxysm of self-pity. I have “more debt than all of you,” he wailed. Adding that he can’t even buy a new car on his $174,000-a-year paycheck, and Duffy also complained about Congress’s health and pension plans – most of which are paid for by us taxpayers.
Sean, if it’s such a burden being a congress critter, quit – and join the real world. What a goober!
“Constituents Laugh At GOP Rep. Quayle For Denying Existence Of Billions In Special Oil Subsidies,” www.thinkprogress.org, May 17, 2011.
“U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy says slip potential won’t stop town hall meetings,” www.wausaudailyherald.com, April 2, 2011.
“Dems excoriate Rep. Sean Duffy for ‘struggle’ on Congressional Salary,” www.yahoo.com, March 30, 2011.
“U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy says Wisconsin state employees get far better benefits than members of Congress.” www.politifact.com, 2011.
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