American politicians seem to thrive on garnering negative headlines. Each time our elected leadership collective seems to be opening profound dialogue necessary to the task of solving important national problems, some political moron opens his or her mouth and diverts the conversation.
Frequently, political outbursts appear to be a cry for attention, while other times they’re simple acts of dumb-assery, whether at the federal, local or state level. Inevitably, oral buffoonery steals the wind away from real problems.
By now, most of us are aware South Caroline Republican Congressman Joe Wilson blurted out, “You lie!” during President Barack Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress last week.
Wilson took center stage around the globe for his lack of decorum, apologized to the White House and has since used the incident as a fundraising tool. Congressional Democrats are threatening that if he doesn’t apologize on the House floor, he will be spanked with wet noodles. National columnists have called Wilson a racist — and the band plays on.
Those two words have turned the critical topic of health care reform into the “Joe Wilson Show.”
In his attempt to sweep his rude comments under the carpet, Wilson stated during a Fox News Sunday interview, “I will not be muzzled.” That’s too bad. He needs several layers of duct tape across his lips for his public outburst.
Wilson doesn’t stand alone in his “tongueular” ignorance, though.
Not to be outdone, California Assemblyman Mike Duvall fired himself after recorded snippets of his spousal infidelity hit the airwaves. The Orange County social conservative apparently forgot to never trust that a microphone is dead while boasting about one’s tawdry affairs, especially one with a lobbyist having business before a committee on which he served as vice chairman.
Duvall’s wife gave him the boot after his “eye patch” comments went viral, but not before sending other legislators scurrying through state building corridors evading “tabloidesque” reporters rabidly chasing other potential sex scandals.
As titillating as debauchery is, Duvall’s bragging about where he hid his boner came at a time when crucial issues like the state prison crisis, the ongoing budget fiasco and other important business were on the legislative menu.
Of course, Obama isn’t completely innocent of making verbal gaffes at an inopportune time. While promoting the same need for a comprehensive health care overhaul, Obama sabotaged his speech several weeks back by making commentary about his Harvard professor/friend Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s arrest in Cambridge, Mass.
Obama said Cambridge police “acted stupidly,” opening a maelstrom of backlash from police supporters across the country.
The president certainly had the right to open the White House doors to point out that racism still exists in the U.S., but it wasn’t the right time or venue. He instead put the health care discussion on hold, while we were subjected to watching a globally-televised beer summit.
As the U.S. struggles through the uncertainty of our current economic situation, faces the possibility of a seemingly never-ending war and occupation, wonders how to afford medical treatment, or even how to keep food on the table, politicians should focus on doing their jobs.
We’ve already survived back-to-back administrative years of a slack-jawed yokel blundering into the mic, distracting us from finding real solutions. While former-President George W. Bush’s foot-in-mouth disease fed fodder to the late-night comedy industry, it was only painfully funny because it swept aside our ability to seek potential cures to a hurting nation.
Prior to the relentless Bushisms, national problems took backstage when then-President Bill Clinton got the world’s most famous B.J. from his cigar-diddling intern.
Hardly any voter approaches the booth contemplating two-to-four years of comic relief will be the outcome. The time is long past due that our elected representatives learn when to keep their mouths shut and their zippers up.