Rep. Steve Stockman has a talent for setting people’s hair on fire with his commentary, but anyone offended by his latest remark clearly doesn’t know Steve Stockman.
The Texas GOP congressman trolled his loyal opposition today when he tweeted this bon mot:
Naturally, the knives came out on Twitter. That and the ‘gas’ puns. Salon.com went so far to label him the new Michele Bachmann. But Stockman’s said far worse things.
- For instance, what about the time, reported this week, he told National Review that he voted against the “Violence Against Women Act” because it was a “horrible” bill that helps “men dressed up as women.”
- Or how about the time he compared President Obama to Saddam Hussein. Or the time before that when he suggested impeachment as a defense against gun control.
- And let’s not forget the time, during his sole term in the 1990s, when he accused the Clinton administration of staging the Waco tragedy to bolster its case for an assault weapons ban.
If anything, this new comment is actually representative of what the Republican party needs more of from its House members: comments that are offensive and funny. Because party members already have the know-nothing, say-it-anyway commentary down pat. Heck, your grandchildren will know the term "legitimate rape."
What’s missing is the “Don Rickles” factor. Something that can make them appear at least amusingly offensive as they ignore undeniable facts about climate change (or launch into a screed about how President Obama's health plan "literally kills" women and children). That strategy won't win them any friends, but it won't lose them any either.
Stockman's statement isn't a gaffe. But even if it were, it would be a gaffe in the right direction.