Tuesday, November 29, 2011

BloggeRhythms 11/29/2011

Read an article on Fox News this morning highlighting many quips, comments and retorts Barney Frank made over the years. According to the author, Chad Pergram, Frank's intelligence and facile wit helped separate him from his colleagues, making him a unique character among them and his image was such that he needed only one name: Barney. Yet, everyone knew who he was.

To prove his point the author's first illustration of Frank's glibness came at a hostile town hall meeting about health care reform in August, 2009. A woman in the audience held up a picture of President Obama depicted as Adolph Hitler, and challenged Frank by asking, "Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported?"

Frank responded "in kind" according to the author by asking, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?" His response drew both cheers and jeers from the audience, and then he went on: "Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table!"

Now from my perspective, after reading the exchange, the article's author may think Frank's glib or clever, or perhaps quite amusing, but to me he's a political hack dodging a question from a citizen with an opposing opinion. And I believe it's also much of the story of Frank's political life. He, and many others like him, take iron clad positions on any number of issues and then cut off discussion once their minds made up.

As for me, I have no problem with politicos lining up on any side of an issue they choose, and really don't care about their opinions because I have my own. But, I don't believe disrespecting or insulting dissenters is particularly clever, in fact it's what third graders do in school yards. However, most of those kids eventually grow up.

So I guess we're back to the same old situation where a guy in Congress who has a tenth of a brain is light years smarter than the rest of the members. And the article I highlighted today just provides further confirmation that the vast majority of those holding office (and those who report on them) are dumber than stones.

That's it for today folks.
Adios

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