10 Dumbest Members of Congress

Monday, May 28, 2012

10 Dumbest Members of Congress

political-linguaphile:

1. Mick Mulvaney, R-SC: Mulvaney is the co-author of the Cut, Cap and Balance bill that has been at the center of the debate on raising the debt ceiling. The bill would impose stiff reductions, mostly to programs that fund economic growth and aid to the poor. It would also cap spending for entitlement programs and call for a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. Mulvaney is one of those extremists who would rather see the U.S. default on its debts and suffer a credit rating downgrade than reform the tax code to be more equitable and stop favoring the wealthy.

3. Rand Paul, R-KY: The son of cranky Libertarian Ron Paul, Rand is such a strong advocate of the free market that he opposes the parts of the Civil Rights Act that prohibit businesses from engaging in discrimination. He believes so firmly in personal responsibility that he wanted to let BP off the hook after its oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers and flooding the Gulf with toxins. He called criticism of BP “really un-American.” More recently, he said of Obama’s support for same-sex marriage, “Call me cynical, but I didn’t think his views on marriage could get any gayer.”

4. Sean Duffy, R-WI: At a town hall meeting in Wisconsin, Duffy was asked whether he’d vote to cut his $174,000 congressional salary. He proceeded to whine about how $174,000 really isn’t that much: “I guarantee that I have more debt than all of you. With six kids, I still pay off my student loans. I still pay my mortgage.” Sounds like he could benefit from Obama’s proposals to reform mortgage and student loan debt.

7. Vicky Hartzler, R-MO: Like many Tea Party Republicans, Hartzler has expressed doubts about Obama’s citizenship. When questioned about the birth certificate the president released she said, “You know, I have a lot of doubts about all that. But I don’t know, I haven’t seen it.” She also opposes same-sex marriage with the old slippery slope argument that associates it with polygamy and pedophilia. She asks, “Why not allow one man and two women or three women to marry? […] Why not allow a 50-year-old man to marry a 12-year-old girl if they love each other and they are committed?”

9. David Schweikert, R-AZ: Perhaps the poster child for this list is Rep. Schweikert, who was asked a question about the health insurance mandate provision in the Affordable Care Act, and whether he thought it was fair that prior to the ACA someone could incur medical expenses but not pay for them, raising the cost of health care for everyone else. He responded, “You have the right as an American to be dumb.” And he is fully exercising his rights.

And that’s just my personal pick from the “10 Dumbest Members of Congress” who get to legislate and rule us. Click through the above link for the horror of 5 more of these geniuses.

And all on the full list are Republicans. Hahaha. (Although to be fair, there are a few Democrats — all of the Blue Dog variety, mind you — who could’ve been considered.)

No surprise Ron Johnson was on that list. He’s the guy I look at and go, “What the fuck, Wisconsin?” The salt in the wound there is that he bumped off Russ Feingold, who had been one of my favorite Senators.