what is the strangest political event/occurence that you recall?

I am too young to recall some of the strange antics in the watergate era.

But I recall a young congressman's wife bragging about "doing it" with her republican congressman hubby on the Capitol steps.

Happened last year. :bounce:

That's sweet! :D

:party:

You know, they really liked to follow through with those. In my state, a 59 year old grandmother was arrested and charged with "unlawful criminal tresspass" after "speaking out" at a Republican fundraiser (hosted by Laura).

;-)

I mean come on - nothing says politics like strippers, porn stars, steroid-taking body builders, and Gary Coleman!

It was doubly surreal because I was in Ohio for a lot of it and listening to people there talk about California politics (and stranger yet,they'd try to "educate" me, a lifelong Californian, about California politics) was the wierdest thing ever.

Would it??

:)

*posts a Bill Maher new rule from a month ago*

And finally, New Rule: America must recall the president. That's what this country needs. A good, old-fashioned, California-style recall election! Complete with Gary Coleman, porno actresses and action film stars. And just like Schwarzenegger's predecessor here in California, George Bush is now so unpopular, he must defend his jog against...Russell Crowe. Because at this point, I want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody. In fact, let's have only phone throwers. Naomi Campbell can be the vice-president!

Now, I kid, but seriously, Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you anymore. There's no more money to spend. You used up all of that. You can't start another war because you also used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people.

Yeah, listen to your mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit card's maxed out, and no one is speaking to you: mission accomplished! Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service. And the oil company. And the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy or spaceman?!

Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying that there's so many other things that you, as president, could involve yourself in...Please don't. I know, I know, there's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela, and eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote. But, sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man.

Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire metropolis to rising water and snakes.

On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two Trade Centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans...Maybe you're just not lucky!

I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side. So, yes, God does speak to you, and what he's saying is, "Take a hint."

Maher is great.

Absolutely.

.

He wanted to legalize the keeping of ferrets as pets in California.

It is illegal to have pet ferrets in California, based upon the theory that they might escape into the wild and damage the native wildlife.

I still remember that issue of Playboy. :evilgrin:

falling (drunkenly) into the reflecting pool with a stripper.

I wasn't at all political back then (except for being a natural-born liberal), so I wasn't up on the players (hey, I was 15 when Ray-gun was elected).

back then one of the most powerful committees. Not sure if Tip was Speaker - it was folklore when I got to the Hill in the mideighties.

It was before my DC time - but it was lore - oft repeated (along with the Jenrette story.)

Back in the '70's. I do remeber that one, too!

from Arkansas (though lost his chairmanship in DC.)

a few years ago some PA. elected or appointed official got into trouble, called a press conference stuck a gun in his mouth and blew his head off on live T.V. Anyone remember that?

I was living in S. Jersey at the time and caught the unedited version on the noon news. That was awful!!!

of it on Micheal Moore's Columbine.

It got me to searching for the video. the webpage is of a Yahoo who thinks the Dwyer suicide somehow discounts the Foster Suicide. But the link is quite graphic be warned.


http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/FOSTER_COVERUP/SUICIDE/suicide.html

you are right in your post--WHAT A PSYCHO. The web page guy, not Bud Dwyer. Well, Dwyer might also have been nutty, but...that's one of the nuttiest web pages alleging the Vince Foster suicide was one of the Clinton family's murders that I've ever seen. Again: CRAZ-Y.

which shows what a bunch of sick idiots I went to school with



I just realized it's going to be 20 years next January 22nd. I remember the day it happened because my father died on the same day (about 6 years earlier)

what an awful memory to have linked to your own personal loss.

From Wikipedia's article on Jaggi Singh:



Apparently the New York Daily News has won 10 Pulitzer prizes and its "editorial positions usually range from moderate to Liberal."

That's always struck me as really odd.

as the odd political/media era that we find ourselves stuck in.

My ex was a police officer and would work a lot when ever dignitaries came to town. They had him at the Marriott when Dan Quayle came once.

Quayle ordered room service and had a plate of chocolate chip cookies and an exercise bike sent to his room. He seemed so immature to start with that it was a joke among the department members for a while.

He also worked when Reagan came but I won't say what he ordered at 2:00 am one night.

but darn curious about that 2:00 am order...

If we guess right, will you confirm?

My guess - was it a call girl?

I remember vegging out in my dorm room my junior year in college. My boyfriend had left a TV in my room for use so I was relaxing watching the tube and vaguely doing homework with this killer hangover.

The press conference comes on and this, I think he was State Auditor but it was in PA, comes on and talks about all the charges being true. Then he pulls out a gun and blows his head away.

Some of the frats managed to get a taped copy of that press conference and played it over and over again at frat parties.

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/FOSTER_COVERUP/SUICIDE/suicide.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budd_Dwyer

Exreme warning from that link - everything is on there including pictures and video

a ways up on this thread, and then thought twice about it, it's so disturbing.

Bad enough I had to watch it on TV but it was also the anniversary of the day that my father had died.

I'm curious - was Dwyer a republican or democrat?

Edit Note: Republican
http://members.fortunecity.com/budd3/nyt.html

What did Bud Dwyer's secretary say when he went to the press conference?

Don't shoot your mouth off!


Good times!

with another girl at a Lindsay rally in Tampa. Richie Havens on guitar.

Said "Hi" to Gen. Eisenhower when he was campaigning for his first term. I was 3 and we were going to the G-parents, passing through Dennison TX (where Ike was born). The main street was blocked off for the parade he was going to be in. Took a back street to get through town and pulled up next to his convertible. Like that could happen today.

or probably any time since the second Kennedy assassination (first came the protection then came the staged events making it even more screened.)

It must have been obvious to everyone that Reagan didn't know where the hell he was or what he was doing, but he looked just fine on the television news that night.

Most recently was the BIO 2005 biotechnology conference in Philadelphia this summer. It looked like the city was prepared for war with menacing looking cops standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the various venues, helicopters in the sky, etc.

I was stuck in traffic, and on the sidewalk next to me was this funny looking little bald guy wearing a two thousand dollar suit and holding a plastic souvenir sack full of convention literature and he was flirting with this woman protestor who was wearing a tight green tank top (no bra!) and they were both giggling like little kids.

Here I was worrying about the seriousness of it all, and worried that things could suddenly blow up, and then, whamo!, I was in a completely different place.

Reagan was the luncheon speaker the last day. Skipped out with one of our suppliers to do some last minute shopping and have lunch in the French Quarter before leaving for the airport. Maybe he was still lucid then.

I'll grant you, he may have simply been very tired, but the thing that was weird was how the press covered for him.

I think the mental facilities that allowed Reagan to recreate baseball games from wire reports in his early career were still intact in the later years of his presidency.

It is very possible that Reagan was used, especially in his second term. His vice president was clearly not an honest man.

I understand why people found him appealing. But there is no WAY you can convince me that senior aides and those who really picked Reagan for the takeover DIDN'T KNOW of his condition, considering how greatly he had deteriorated even by '82. They say stress can accelerate an alzheimer's patient's decline, and maybe those first two years really did him in, but--come on. I just--I listen to some of them CLAIM it wasn't apparent to anyone until--at earliest--'86. Nuh-huh. Nooooo way. Not from the post-"assasination" Reagan you see, when he clearly struggles to stay "on point" even during closely supervised speeches.

human instincts win out over political interests...

He was found with an orange in his mouth & a plastic bag over his head, wearing stockings and suspenders.

*gasp*

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall a rumour that when former VP Nelson Rockerfeller died - they had to clean up the scene, as he had allegedly died in the throes (so to speak) with someone other than his wife.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Marshak

Explains all about the controversy with Rockefeller

just the overall rumour. Funny how times (and media coverage/discretion) has changed.

Btw, :hi: I hope all is well with you these days.

It happened right in front of the cameras. It was obvious what happened, though there wasn't a lot of visible blood.

The entire country just stopped for four days.

It was so inconceivable that a President could be assassinated.

and still too young to remember his brother's assassination. I can not even imagine what it was like.

I was just a little kid, and all I could do was sit there and stare at the TV. Everyone in the country was already so traumatized and then this shooting happened.

Creepy, weird, gruesome, terrifying...all rolled into one.

voting place for my VERY FIRST election! The good thing about that is that the East Coast finally realized there was a West Coast, and stopped announcing "final results" at 5:00 Pacific time! But I am still mad about that whole thing -- I felt my vote had been nulified. I still voted for Carter, but geez.

Since then, voting has been a passion for me, and encouraging people to vote (yeah, I know, Diebold and all that) is something I do whenever I have the opportunity.

See these two reporters were trying to get close to Kerry to get pics etc. One was a Dem and the other was a Republican and the Repub started being a dick (imagine that) to the Dem reporter. They almost were going to get into a fight and my little brother jumped in and backed off the Republican. (my little brother is a No Holds Barred figher, not one to mess with) Kerry saw it and called my brother over to hang out with him for a while. He saluted my brother and hugged him, then signed his hat for him and waited for him to go get my hat and then signed that for me too.

That's totally cute.

He hung out with JFK for about 15 minutes. I was really happy for him. He also got to stand on stage a few days before that right behind Howard Dean. He managed to sneak up on the bleachers behind Dean before the speech started. The next morning I was watching Face The Nation and there was my little brother standing behind Dean and in between a 3 or 4 star General and AZ Congressman Raul Grijalva. My brother kept elbowing Grijalva in the ribs every time Dean would make a point and everybody would go nuts. I had to tell him later, "Hey, that guy you were elbowing and playing buddies with is a U.S. Congressman." hahaha

That was a pretty fun time though, during the election year. For a political junkie it's just pure entertainment nonstop. :)

resplendent in their white liesure suits and with a 30-piece orchestra. Very impressive when you're 10 years old.

but someone said political events, and it just popped into my head

It was a complete shock and suprise. I didn't believe it at first until I read it at several different sources. :cry:

So many people thinking "security" was doing its job.

If you can't beat em, shoot em. In a 1998 State Senate race in Tennessee Republican Byron Low Tax Looper, he had legally changed his middle name to Low Tax, was arrested and convicted of murdering his Democratic incumbent opponent.

http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/byron_looper/

the legally changing one's name is notable in and of itself - but the method for trying to win goes beyond all else.

I was in high school and naive. Really shattered my 'adults always act responsible' theorem I had back then.:wow:

with a police record to run against Dan Burton.

His name happened to be at the top of the list alphabetically, in the Democratic column.

*shakes head*

that the Burton illegetimate and neve acknowledged (but paid for) child came to light. A real candidate might have had a chance in the light of those revelations.

My heart was literally ripped out of my chest.

A number of his colleagues were literally laughing.

for some reason the press chose to cover for the little one while his inaugeration was disrupted. I really can't imagine why. There are sometimes when official denial is really obvious, like the JFK assasination and the bush selection.

It just seems like EVERYONE knew it was wrong and so they had to whistle and pretend that "Daddy has the flu, he's not hungover" or "Mom is a little highstrung, not bi-polar" or "Uncle Eddy jsut REALLY LOVES CHILDREN". Watching the press for the last five years has been like watching the Jackson fans outsiode his trial. Each new piece of evidence was used as proof that we must all hunker down and protect the beloved leader because people are trying to use facts to get in the way of our feelings of security.

The wierdest thing was the silence in the Senate when the Black caucus demanded the vote be handled constitutionally.

Even the Supreme Court decision was so ridiculous that the majority opinion made it clear that it should never be used as precedent.

and now llook where we are...

The person to blame? Al Gore because it was his fucking election to concede. It was ours and we deserved better.

I would love to see him run agains but only if he apologizes for letting "w" into our House scott free.

In 1999, former Mass. GOP Congressman and then
Mass. Port Authority chief, Peter Blute chartered
a boat at state expense for a booze soaked cruise
of Boston Harbor with a GOP lobbyist and several
bikini clad women.

The local tabloid got word of the cruise and had reporters
waiting for them at the dock. One of the women flashed her
breasts for the cameras. Front page scandal!

When called to explain why he chartered the boat at
state expense, he lied and got caught.
He is now a host on a local talk radio station.

introduced Hubert Humphrey at the Dem convention as....

HUBERT....HORATIO.....HORNBLOWER!

found a link

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/08/18/politics/main225899.shtml

is the reference in the article suggesting that this gaffe is what lead to Ronald Reagan winning over Carter. Huh (odd logic, that.)

One of my favs is watching police raid Former PRemier Glen Clark's house live on TV, it was just like an episode of Cops.


This was good too, Here's the current Premier's mugshots after he was arrested for drunk driving.
Best part is the asshole is smiling like a dope in them, presumably because he's still drunk

(For the uninitated -- the guy who used to lead the provincial Liberal party got caught having an affair with one of the other Liberal MLAs.)

http://www.mapleleafweb.com/features/electoral/british-columbia/bc-election-history.html

My then-landlady was doing some work at the Legislature around that time, and she and her colleagues recalled seeing "the two lovebirds" off by themselves at a table ... none of the other politicians wanted to be seen talking with them!


And then, things got even more weird. Wilson lost the leadership, and he and Tyabji formed their own political party. Then Tyabji's ex-husband filed a lawsuit alleging that Wilson's son had molested one of the Tyabji daughters.

http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/dec/20us3.htm

The Viet Nam veterans against the war were the spookiest. There was kind of a carnival atmosphere at the mall, except for those guys. They were dead serious, and carrying a black coffin.