Patterico's Pontifications

It took a while for him to sober up. The microphones in congress needs some sort of attached breathalyzer. If they blow above a certain BAC, the microphone automatically cuts off. Just think about it — we may never have to hear Ted Kennedy again.

dave (0606c0) — 10/23/2007 @ 12:50 pm

Stark is a sack of sh*t who deserves to be impeached and removed from congress.

Mark (e29a60) — 10/23/2007 @ 12:51 pm

Is that apostrophe in the right place?

WLS (bafbcb) — 10/23/2007 @ 12:53 pm

WLS, re-read his appology. Those who might have been offended?

At least he got part of it right…

He sure as hell is insignificant…

Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:06 pm

He shouldn’t have apologized. It was stupid.

blah (a01d4a) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:12 pm

Why shouldn’t he have appologized?

You think his comments Thursday were correct?

Scott Jacobs (425810) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:15 pm

I don’t believe it’s sincere, merely damage control. He waited until he was sure which was worth more politically, expressing his true opinion to delight the nutroots or backpedaling to pander to the moderates. There were enough voters in his district expressing their outrage that he’s worried. Actions are more indicative of the truth than words, and he’s shown what he really thinks too many times for this to be a real apology. For anyone who believes he is sincere, it’s only that he’s better actor than Reid, Pelosi, Craig, or most other (Republican or Democrat) politician who has no honor. There are some honorable ones on both sides of the aisle, but they rarely make the news. Strong argument for term-limits on everything down to city level.

Stashiu3 (992297) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:35 pm

Is that apostrophe in the right place?

If that’s where you wanted it. The purpose of language is to communicate and not to satisfy Strunk & White. I doan think I misunderstood ya.

Your usage, if it catches on, may even be adopted by Strunk & White.

nk (da3e6b) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:40 pm

He’s only sorry for letting the mask slip for a minute.

Techie (c003f1) — 10/23/2007 @ 1:49 pm

I doubt he went to “work” that day intending to channel the nutroots, but he also obviously doesn’t really see anything wrong with what he said.

Both parties have done their best since Vietnam to trash the notion that respect should be given to the President for the office he holds even if you think that the man is a sack of shit. So what can you expect.

chaos (9c54c6) — 10/23/2007 @ 2:40 pm

I’m giving him credit for going on the floor of the House and making the statement. It may be that he was forced to do so by members of his own caucus who threated to join the GOP sponosored censure vote if he didn’t. But he did.

If he had only made a written apology, or if he had made an apology at a staged press conference, then I might feel differently.

And, I don’t believe for a minute that he didn’t mean what he said when he said it, and he probably still believes its true now — but he went on to the floor and expressed regret for having said it. That all goes along with being one of the most objectionable members of congress in the past 50 years.

But, I’m giving him credit only for doing something he really didn’t want to do which was to pronate himself before the nation.

WLS (bafbcb) — 10/23/2007 @ 2:42 pm

But, I’m giving him credit only for doing something he really didn’t want to do which was to ~~pronate himself~~ take off his tinfoil hat before lying to the nation.

There, fixed that for ya! 😉

Stashiu3 (992297) — 10/23/2007 @ 2:47 pm

Why does strike-thru always look ok in preview and never show up for me in the comment? “pronate himself” was supposed to have a strike-thru. Drat!
🙁

Stashiu3 (992297) — 10/23/2007 @ 2:50 pm

Stashiu3,

I edited it for you but I have the same problem myself. I think you have to manually insert the overstrike instead of using the toolbar. Here’s the code: <*strike*><*/strike*> (but delete the asterisks).

DRJ (fb1a22) — 10/23/2007 @ 2:55 pm

He only apologized because for a brief moment, we got a glimpse at his true feelings. We apologized because he finally realized that there was more value in apologizing than hiding behind his “intemperate” remarks.

JD (3ecf8c) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:02 pm

Computers are evil. Thank you very much DRJ. I’ll ~~never forget~~ remember that for the future. 😉

Stashiu3 (992297) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:06 pm

Nutroots react. Jane Hamster over at racistdogfakes blames Pelosi:

With all of the outrages perpetuated by this administration, with the abject failure of the House under your leadership to do anything that they were elected to do, I guess we’ll have to say that this is your crowning achievement — forcing Pete Stark to his knees and making him grovel before this completely lawless, warmongering and inhumane administration.

For the record, I’m offended.

daleyrocks (906622) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:13 pm

The ever level-headed Booman Tribune:

“After his mea culpa, Stark walked walked off the floor to the Democratic side of the chamber and for at least five minutes stood sobbing while fellow Democrats gathered around him. Reporters close to the Speaker’s Lobby were not able to hear why he was crying.

No word on whether Bush cried when he realized that he’s getting people’s heads blown off for no better reason than his own amusement. If he’s not amused, then why is he doing it? “

daleyrocks (906622) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:16 pm

daleyrocks – I love the folks over at manbearpig, racistblackface, or whatever those moonbats call themselves. I wish they were published in every paper in the country. The nutroots would quickly find out that their internal echo-chambers represent, hopefully, a tiny fraction of the electorate at large.

JD (3ecf8c) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:17 pm

Chris Bowers at Open Left:

“We aren’t ending the war, but at least we are forcing those who oppose it to apologize to Bush and other members of Congress. Can’t you just picture Stark being held down by Republicans and Bush Dog freshman in Congress, telling him to stop hitting himself?”

daleyrocks (906622) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:21 pm

Down With Tyranny:

“In another blatant maneuver to get the nation’s eye off the ball, Republican obstructionists in the House forced a vote on condemning California Congressman Pete Stark. Aside from being a colossal waste of Congress’ time, this blatant show of Republican partisan hypocrisy was an opportunity for Americans to see the minority party at its sickest and most pathetic. Not a single Republican voted for the motion to table this embarrassing resolution. The motion to table (kill) John Boehner’s attempt to bring further disrepute to Congress passed 196-173.”

daleyrocks (906622) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:24 pm

ROTFLMFAO — I won’t spell out that acronym if you don’t recognize it.

This is a classic example of my other post about the nutroots radical left dominating the dialogue on behalf of the Democratic party, and the No. 1 reason why the Dems have more to fear in 2008 internally than does the GOP.

WLS (bafbcb) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:34 pm

How will those 196 explain that vote, that Stark should not be censured?

JD (3ecf8c) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:43 pm

These are the people that AJL claims are representative of the American people. I think not!

daleyrocks (906622) — 10/23/2007 @ 3:45 pm

Nutroots react.

And this is why I can’t wait for DNC 2008. I love the smell of teargas at a donk gathering. 🙂

dave (0606c0) — 10/23/2007 @ 4:13 pm

If Stark had simply apologized and not proceeded to try and justify (read: excuse) himself, then I would have bought it. But self-justification and ratonionalization is the kiss of death and nullifies any attempts at making things right. It only evidences its all about damage control and his own image being restored in the public eye. Idiot. Doesn’t he realize we the public are smarter than that?

Dana (036fe4) — 10/23/2007 @ 4:25 pm

I doubt he went to “work” that day intending to channel the nutroots, but he also obviously doesn’t really see anything wrong with what he said

Please. He got elected on the “Baby Killers” platform.

He meant every word he said.

And for the record, I too am offended.

Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 10/23/2007 @ 4:55 pm

The good Congressman’s given name is “Fortney”.
“Pete” is his nick-name. I don’t think anyone has ever called him Peter.
And, he should resign, and go into re-hab.

Another Drew (8018ee) — 10/23/2007 @ 4:56 pm

Scott Jacobs,

I don’t think Stark woke up that morning and thought, “I’m going to go to the House today and say that the President is getting soldiers killed in Iraq for his own amusement.” I think he, being an irrational, unhinged moonbat type, with a history of being unable to keep himself civil, got all worked up and it just came out. Doesn’t mean he didn’t mean it, but I highly doubt that he started speaking with the intention of violating the rules of the House and embarrassing his party via intemperate remarks.

chaos (9c54c6) — 10/23/2007 @ 6:04 pm

“I’m sorry if I offended the Bush family” is not an apology. He is a dick.

Alta Bob (c549e9) — 10/23/2007 @ 7:28 pm

After reading his “apology”, I noticed that he really only kind-of apologized. It came across like one of those “I am sorry if you misinterpreted what I was saying” non-apologies.

JD (3ecf8c) — 10/23/2007 @ 7:47 pm

I had a terrible feeling this was coming. The truth cannot hold in this culture. He was absolutely right the first time and should have held his ground.

David Ehrenstein (b743cb) — 10/24/2007 @ 5:41 am

Chaos.

He called our Soldiers and Marines babykillers.

He meant to say that. He’s been saying it since he was elected in the first place.

He is, in the words of Michelle Malkin, a “crapweasle”.

Scott Jacobs (a1de9d) — 10/24/2007 @ 1:36 pm

10/23/2007

Peter Stark deserves credit for doing this, but it shouldn’t have taken him so long.

33 Responses to “Peter Stark deserves credit for doing this, but it shouldn’t have taken him so long.”

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