Friday, December 08, 2006

25 Stupidest Quotes of 2006

It's another year-end list, this one on the humorous side. About.com has assembled it's list of the 25 dumbest quotes from 2006 -- a risky venture considering Bush is still allowed to speak for the remainder of the year.

25 Mind-Numbingly Stupid Quotes by Various Idiots

25) "I think I'd just commit suicide." --Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in October, on the prospects of the Democrats taking back the Senate in the November election

24) "I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day." --New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin

23) "I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me." --President George W. Bush, talking to key Republicans about Iraq, as quoted by Bob Woodward

22) "The internet is not something you just dump something on. It's not a truck. It's a series of tubes. And if you don't understand, those tubes can be filled and if they are filled, when you put your message in, it gets in line and it's going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that tube enormous amounts of material, enormous amounts of material." --Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Steven (R-AK), explaining the workings of the Internet during a debate on net neutrality (Listen to original audio clip or watch the an amusing techno video remix

21) "I enjoy cocaine because it's a fun thing to do. .. I enjoy the company of prostitutes for the following reasons: it's a fun thing to do. ... If you combine the two together it's probably even more fun." --Rep. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), after being egged on to make those statement during an interview with Stephen Colbert (Watch video clip)

20) "Something else I've learned about Secretary Rice is she loves the cool Atlantic breezes here in Nova Scotia, and she left the window open last night." --Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, fueling speculation that the two are having a love affair

19) "[He has] a career of slavishly supporting the Republican Party." – House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, (D-MD) on Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, an African-American Republican running for Senate

18) "God is the one who chooses our rulers." --Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), explaining why the separation of church and state is "a lie." Harris also said, "If you are not electing Christians, then in essence you are going to legislate sin."

17) "We have a lot of kids who don't know what works means. They think work is a four-letter word." --Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

16) "And don't forget, Sherrod Brown is black. There's a racial component here, too. And now, the newspaper that I'm reading all this from is The New York Times, and they, of course, don't mention that." --Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, on the Ohio Senate primary race involving Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who is white

15) "You may end up with a different math, but you're entitled to your math. I'm entitled to the math." --Bush adviser Karl Rove, insisting to NPR that pre-election polls "add up to a Republican Senate and a Republican House"

14) "I said a little prayer before I actually did the fingerprint thing, and the picture. And my prayer was basically: 'Let people see Christ through me. And let me smile.'" --Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, on being arrested and posing for his mug shot

13) "Did you know that Pat Robertson can leg press 2,000 pounds? How does he do it? Where does Pat find the time and energy to host a daily, national TV show, head a world-wide ministry, develop visionary scholars, while traveling the globe as a statesman? One of Pat's secrets to keeping his energy high and his vitality soaring is his age-defying protein shake. Pat developed a delicious, refreshing shake, filled with energy-producing nutrients. Discover what kinds of natural ingredients make up Pat's protein shake by registering for your FREE booklet today!" --from Pat Robertson's Web site

12) "You cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.... I'm not joking." --Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) (Watch video clip)

11) "We're not going to tell you what our plan is, Jon, because you're just going to go out and blow it." --Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), on the secret plan he and President Bush have to win the Iraq war, in a debate with his Democratic challenger, John Tester (Watch video)
You'll have to go to the site to see the top ten.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

I think this potpoiri of "stupid" quotes was offered by the about.com guide because the quotes are funny, of course, but also for them to be ridiculed.

But, truly, these quotes are extraordinarily valuable in various ways because of what they reveal. Woe to us if Bush was able to mask his stunning incompetence.

Some of the quotes are intended as jokes and it saddens me a tad that they are taken, now, as serious lapses of discretion or insight. #25 is a joke, "stupid" only becasue of the outcome of the election. #21 is clearly a joke; calling it "stupid" only supports the notion some rightwingers might choose to have that it really reveals something about Wexler. #20, JOKE! Not stupid, clever and self deprecating as hell.

Truly that are two main strains of what is being called stupid here: Good jokes and revealing statements. I do wish we wouldn't toss the jokes into the bin with the knuckleheaded statements by knuckleheads. But in either case, I hope calling them stupid and giving them all this internet attention doesn't discourage joking or the loose tongues of wingnuts revealing who they really are.

william harryman said...

Tom,

I agree that some of these do not belong here for the very reasons you suggest. The ones that were clearly jokes, like #21, do not belong on this list at all. There are many other examples from the year that could have been used. In fact, they've done whole lists like this of just Bushisms. I chose not to post that list for a variety of reasons.

The revealing statements are what should have been the focus of this list.

Peace,
Bill