Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

Their boy Ron is an empty plastic cup that will never know pudding.

I might just take the rest of the day off and do even more nothing than usual.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.

Lick the third rail, it tastes like chocolate!

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

T R E 4 5 O N

When we show up, we win.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

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When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

And now I have baud making fun of me. this day can’t get worse.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

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Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

The truth is, these are not very bright guys, and things got out of hand.

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New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

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Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

You are here: Home / Cantor what, Cantor who

Cantor what, Cantor who

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If you haven’t seen this yet at Greg Sargent’s, check out this crazy video Eric Cantor’s office put out about AFSCME.

<object width=”425″ height=”344″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_3mw49mk_x0&hl=en&fs=1″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_3mw49mk_x0&hl=en&fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″></embed></object>

It’s actually kind of funny in a way, but it’s (a) profanity-laced and (b) doesn’t make AFSCME look particularly bad.

I’m beginning to agree with Matt Yglesias that the only reason anyone thinks Cantor is smart is because of ethnic profiling.

Update: Ben reminds us that Cantor once said:

The use of obscenity…should not and cannot be tolerated. As a parent, I share the concerns of many regarding the level of offensive television and radio programs that are transmitted into our homes. The recent violations that have occurred disgusted not only me, but damage our society.

Reader Interactions

112Comments

  3. 3.

    former capitalist

    I assume this is not parody, and since it isn’t, it makes AFSCME look pretty darn good. I know a lot of union members who talk like that, and really, I don’t think they’d know that it’s supposed to be critical of unions. And that’s not being critical of the workers.

    Not new news, but Cantor is an idiot.

  4. 4.

    lutton

    as someone said in Sargent’s comments, that bit has been around for a while. I know I saw that months ago. And it’s actually pretty funny.

    So they didn’t create it as the phrase "their ‘response’" might lead someone to believe. But sending it out via official channels is just stupid and wrong.

    One thing the GOP shouldn’t want to do is to piss off the unions.

  5. 5.

    The Moar You Know

    Ummm, serious question, this is anti-AFSCME how?

    I’m starting to be a little alarmed at the sheer failure of the GOP at the moment. I would normally consider this funny as hell, but desperate people do desperate things, and these people are quite obviously now desperate.

  6. 6.

    gnomedad

    If I were AFSCME, I would want this widely distributed with a disclaimer that it came from the GOP. "Hi, we’re the Republican Party, and we sneer at hard-working people who talk funny." Elitists!

  8. 8.

    Dave

    Cantor is the new face of the GOP? Really? Because sending this in response to an ad that asks "Why are you against creating new jobs?" just smacks of epic stupidity.
     
    Actually, I guess that would make him the new face of the GOP.

  10. 10.

    ryan

    This video (with this voiceover) has been around for years. I saw it at least three years ago. And when I was shown it, I took it as pro-Union. People need to think about the shitty jobs that other people do for them.

  11. 11.

    Zifnab

    @lutton:

    One thing the GOP shouldn’t want to do is to piss off the unions.

    Wow. Kinda late for that.

    And… even if this was a good parody, does it say something when you’ve got to go back 30 years to find something to make fun of? Could they have, perhaps, found something to parody that wasn’t older than Cantor himself? Seriously, isn’t there a Fairness Doctrine someone should be whining about?

  13. 13.

    zzyzx

    I was listening to Limbaugh this morning (yesterday’s show) and after attacking Obama over the fact that GM’s bailout required a plan to show how they would be profitable – a plank that conservatives wanted, not liberals – and bitching about how management would be fired instead of the union workers, he finally started to worry a bit that bitching about a few rich people losing their jobs instead of lots of middle class people might make him look unsympathetic. So he said, "Of course, don’t misunderstand. You union people, we support the workers. We love workers. I am the most supportive person in the world of work. I just don’t support the unions."

    Get that? I support you. I just think you should be laid off if it means that the people who mismanaged GM get to keep their jobs.

  16. 16.

    Mike S

    I’m sure FOX news will do an outraged story on a congressman sending out profanity laced videos. O’Reilly will be screaming about it for at least ten minutes.

    What’s that you say? He’s a Republican?

    Oh, never mind.

  18. 18.

    TheHatOnMyCat

    This is the GOP’s core you are looking at. Look, they harvested the South for votes. The South is traditionally right-to-work and "anti" union. This keeps wages low and keeps the plantation — er, factory — owners rich.

    The politicians and the plantation owners have to bash unions, otherwise their whole worldview doesn’t make any sense. Think about it. What set of logical constructs would deliberately set out to keep people down, and restrict their ability to earn more money? Who would that benefit?

    The middle class is hurting in this country. Hard to figure out how the GOP sees policies aimed squarely at fucking the middle class help them gain or keep power these days, but hey, if that’s what they want to do, more power to ’em.

  19. 19.

    Tsulagi

    doesn’t make AFSCME look particularly bad.

    Nope, I thought it was pretty good. Shows some are working hard. If I was Cantor’s opposing candidate with union endorsements if asked to comment on the vid I’d say “Fuckin’ A you got that shit right.”

    Good to see Cantor reinforcing that non-elitist Republican message. If there’s a little union or voter backlash, maybe he could get Gooper leg humper JTP on the campaign trail for him. Rebrand him as Joe the Non-Union Plumber.

  20. 20.

    Conservatively Liberal

    I saw this mentioned over at the GOS and I had a good laugh about it. Cantor is as off-key as only a Rushbot can be. Nothing like a good-ol’ blue collar put down being circulated by a white collar Rushublican House member to show how much their party relates to the common people out there.

    Tone-fucking-deaf. Their hate knows no bounds and they play to a specific audience. Thank the FSM that their audience is getting smaller and smaller with each election. Unfortunately, the side-effect of this is that they get crazier and crazier but if that is what we have to suffer through to shrink this party until it is small enough to drown in the bathtub, then so be it.

    Tis the patriotic thing to do.

  21. 21.

    The Other Steve

    And what have we learned everyone? When the Republicans send out a joke, don’t get outraged. EMBRACE IT!

    Actually that video looks pretty pro-union to me. If anything, this must show how out of touch Cantor is with real America if he thinks I’m going to be offended by the language.

  22. 22.

    Napoleon

    I just read over on TAP blog that inspired by this video clip someone started a facebook group called "We’re F–kin’ AFSCME"

  23. 23.

    Feebog

    I suppose that Cantor thinks all the profanity is going turn off the "regular folks". I don’t know what world he is living in. I am on middle and high school campus’ frequently. The students use those words all the time. I think the vidieo is hilarious, and quite pro-union.

  25. 25.

    superfly

    I wish the union heads would embrace it, and stop demanding apologies, they could totally flip this on Cantor, and not only make him look even more stupid (possible?), but get a good laugh out of it too at his expense.

  27. 27.

    Indylib

    It was just another stab at hyping up the base – you know- the one with the southern accent. He thought the insulting part was the blue-collar "Italian" accent. And these asshats wonder why they lost Pennsylvania?

  28. 28.

    Joshua Norton

    I know a lot of union members who talk like that,

    I know a lot of politicians that talk like that, too. The point of the whole video is lost on me. Maybe Cantor is just too innocent for this wicked world and its plethora of f-bombs.

    As someone once said before me: There’s two kinds of Republicans – millionaires and idiots.

  29. 29.

    Napoleon

    He thought the insulting part was the blue-collar "Italian" accent.

    The anti-card check ads that were running here in Ohio (and I assume elsewhere) during the campaign included the same thing for the ads "union members". Of course there are a lot of Italians in Ohio.

  30. 30.

    Conservatively Liberal

    I agree, I think the clip is hilarious. Knowing Cantor’s office sent the link to it as a slam makes it even funnier. On the one hand he is passing out a clip that makes the unions look tough and ‘everyman’ which comes across as a compliment to unions yet he meant it as an insult.

    The Rushublican party is pitiful yet I am not feeling any pity, just pure satisfaction knowing that everything they have stood for is bankrupt. Unfortunately this is tempered by the fact that they destroyed our economy proving it.

    There is no such thing as a free lunch. Darn.

  31. 31.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    With Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) calling on the Republicans to use Taliban insurgent tactics you have to wonder just how much more fun are we in for?

    We get rid of Bush and think we won’t have enough Republicans to make fun. Ha! They are like the No 3 guy in AQ. You can get rid of as many of them as you would like but someone will always step up to the next numb nuts. Nothing like a target rich environment to soothe the savage beast.

  32. 32.

    kay

    I would think anything that serves to rally and unify union members, many of whom are conservative voters, where I live anyway, is probably counter-productive to Cantor’s cause. A lot of times, here, anyway, they’re voting on guns and social issues. They can afford to vote on those issues, because they enjoy good wages and health care benefits.
    Ironically.
    They’re conservative voters precisely because they enjoy liberal benefits.

  33. 33.

    Gus

    I was at the gym this morning, listening to my iPod, looked up and saw Cantor’s face on CNBC or something. That is one of the most smug punchable faces I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t even hear what he as saying, but I wanted to kick his ass.
    Off topic, how come so few people are mocking the latest NRO list, the 25 most conservative movies of the last 25 years? No snark here, from TBogg, the SN crew or the Poorman. And why no mention of this? Seems like the biggest story in years.

  34. 34.

    Reverend Dennis

    Hard to figure out how the GOP sees policies aimed squarely at fucking the middle class help them gain or keep power these days, but hey, if that’s what they want to do, more power to ‘em.

    Harder still to figure out where these fools’ own Red States will find the federal money to support them if the middle class in the Blue States gets fucked-over much more than they are now.

  35. 35.

    Steve Balboni

    Eric Cantor’s office forwarded the video, they didn’t create the video.

    That video has been around for quite some time. I work in organized labor and we used to watch the video during the height of the campaign last year for a laugh. We ask new organizers "Have you seen the AFSCME video?" all the time.

    As far as I can tell the original poster of the video isn’t a political operative – http://www.youtube.com/user/yaggy9

    Eric Cantor is a jerk and his intent was obvious but many of us in labor find the video amusing and have for some time. I even posted it on my personal blog last night to lighten the mood from all of the gloom and despair of blogging about the financial crisis.

  37. 37.

    Joshua Norton

    so few people are mocking the latest NRO list, the 25 most conservative movies of the last 25 years?

    Old news. Been there, done that. There was some right good snark about the "Dark Knight" being a hit "conservative" movie.

  39. 39.

    Reverend Dennis

    @John Cole:
    These are the people whom we are supposed to meet in the middle. I’d like to meet them in the middle of the Long Beach breakwater with a couple of anchors and a length of log chain.

  40. 40.

    magisterludi

    I’m wondering when the GOP starts re-thinking that Second Amendment interpretation of theirs.

  41. 41.

    zoe kentucky from pittsburgh

    According to several folks in the comments section over at Steve Benen’s place this video was actually made by AFSCME a few decades ago– so it was meant to be pro-union. Apparently there are 2 versions of this ad, one clean and one with more colorful language.

    Regardless, Cantor’s using it makes him appear childish and completely dickish. If any Dem did something like this the Manufactured Outrage Brigade, also known as the GOP, would be crying and screaming before anyone from the MSM who’d listen.

  43. 43.

    ksmiami

    Gus says:

    I was at the gym this morning, listening to my iPod, looked up and saw Cantor’s face on CNBC or something. That is one of the most smug punchable faces I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t even hear what he as saying, but I wanted to kick his ass.

    I have this reaction to all the Republicans on the teevee lately. If I see these guys in person, I’ll be throwing punches.

    Smug, elitist, stupid assholes – this is what the Republican party is and while they used to be good at hiding their hideous policies, it is more effective for the Dems when the American people get a good look at these guys in person

  45. 45.

    Shygetz

    That was the most pro-AFSCME video I have ever seen. I am so thankful that that f*cking union works for me!

  46. 46.

    joe from Lowell

    This ad makes me like AFSCME more, and makes me dislike anyone who thinks that 1) mocking working people with old stereotypes is funny, or 2) pointing out that working people sometimes to sh*t jobs is going to turn me against them.

    Man, Cantor is a pr*ck.

  47. 47.

    Batocchio

    How unsurprising that Cantor would take a pro-union joke take of an old ad and flog it as anti-union. It reminds me of Tom Delay’s team quoting a satirical Stephen Colbert bit as support.

  48. 48.

    Cryptic ned

    I’m pretty sure this ad was made 20 or so years ago as a sort of joke among union people, to make AFSCME look good.

  49. 49.

    joe from Lowell

    People like Eric Cantor think that merely invoking the word "union" and the image of a burly, cussed union tough guy is going to turn people against unions.

    He doesn’t think he has to make the case against them; he thinks he can say "Look! Unions!" and everybody is going to hide under their chairs.

    Talk about out of touch.

  51. 51.

    Third Eye Open

    Is Cantor Jewish like I am Hispanic? y’know, on paperwork and during family ge’t’gethers? I honestly never heard the Jews are brainiacs spiel.

    Can we have an open thread to discuss the impending dominance of the AFC by the recently un-encumbered ‘Phins who are being led by a dashing, and svelty Tuna?

  52. 52.

    Andrew

    Who the fuck thinks eric cantor is smart besides a handful of MSM idiots and douchebag right wingers?

  54. 54.

    bvac

    That’s pretty fucking awesome and makes unions like good guys, even though AFSCME is demanding that he apologize for posting it. Eric Cantor just got PWNED.

  55. 55.

    JGabriel

    DougJ:

    It’s actually kind of funny in a way, but it’s (a) profanity-laced and (b) doesn’t make AFSCME look particularly bad.

    I just watched it over at Greg Sargent’s Who Runs Gov column (via TPM), and I had the same reaction. Despite the obscenity, it’s an affectionate reminder of all that unions do in America.

    I’m not even sure the unions should be demanding an apology. Might have been funnier if one of them had responded: "Yeah, fuckin-A! We do America’s shitwork and we’re fuckin’ pissed at Eric Cantor. Fucking GOP cocksucker. Fuck him. Vote for the motherfuckin’ stimulus, asshole. Or your mama’s next. Goddamn motherfucker."

    Or not. Another valid response could have been, "Really? That’s all he’s got? It’s an amusing, if vulgar, pro-union parody. Harry Truman was legendary for his salty language, so we feel we’re in good company."

    .

  56. 56.

    John PM

    @Gus:

    I was at the gym this morning, listening to my iPod, looked up and saw Cantor’s face on CNBC or something. That is one of the most smug punchable faces I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t even hear what he as saying, but I wanted to kick his ass.

    I had the same experience this morning. It was CNBC. He followed the governor of South Carolina, who advised Obama to "stop digging when you are in a hole," among other priceless gems. CNBC thought this was so important they put it on the crawl while the interview was still going on.

  57. 57.

    Brick Oven Bill

    I have worked with many unionized civil servants.

    This AFSCME commercial does not mesh well with my life-experience. This commercial shows the unionized government workers working, which is fairly rare in my neck of the woods.

    The man speaking was confrontational, which also does not seem right. The typical unionized government worker I have encountered is either quietly bitter and seethes in the cubicle, or openly mocks the system that he or she is a part of.

    I could have made a much better commercial. I have also read the comments over at Yglesias. The blank slate theory is not doing well.

  58. 58.

    Joshua Norton

    Harry Truman was legendary for his salty language, so we feel we’re in good company.

    So true. Absolutely favorite Harry Truman story:

    Truman once offended a friend of his wife’s by referring repeatedly to "the good manure" that must have been used to nurture the fine blossoms at a Washington horticulture show. "Bess, couldn’t you get the President to say ‘fertilizer’?" the woman complained. Replied Mrs. Truman: "Heavens, no. It took me 25 years to get him to say ‘manure.’ "

  60. 60.

    Dork

    This AFSCME commercial does not mesh well with my life-experience. This commercial shows the unionized government workers working, which is fairly rare in my neck of the woods.
    ………………
    The man speaking was confrontational, which also does not seem right. The typical unionized government worker I have encountered is either quietly bitter and seethes in the cubicle, or openly mocks the system that he or she is a part of.

    Am I the first to call BOB a complete spoof? This has spoof written all over it. It’s over-the-top stupid, excessively insulting, and written intentionally poorly.

    I call shenanigans. Can the real author please cop to this?

  62. 62.

    Reverend Dennis

    The typical unionized government worker I have encountered is either quietly bitter and seethes in the cubicle, or openly mocks the system that he or she is a part of.

    As opposed to the non-unionized private sector employees who sit in their cubicles rhapsodizing about their jobs and praising the intelligence of their bosses.
    Try again.

  63. 63.

    Joshua Norton

    More proud wingnutz displaying exactly how stupid they are:

    FDR caused the Great Depression. (Even though he was elected 4 years after it started, I might add.)

    What we’re seeing here are the results of a constant diet of Ayn Rand and Rush.

  64. 64.

    JGabriel

    @slag:

    But so is D*ck Cheney.

    No, Dick Cheney is legendary for being an asshole. Cheney’s obscenities are just an angry by-product.

    .

  65. 65.

    demimondian

    @Dork: You don’t understand — despite his protestations, Brick Outhouse Bill is clearly a civil servant, and he’s projecting from the fact that he’s posting to BJuice in the middle of a work day.

    Of course, my guess is that he’s most bitter about the fact that he’s an incompetent non-union white collar type, and he’s being shown up (again) by the folks who actually do the work.

  66. 66.

    Rome Again

    What we’re seeing here are the results of a constant diet of Ayn Rand and Rush.

    I will ultimately blame these two when this world is in Mad Max territory.

  67. 67.

    JGabriel

    Dork:

    Am I the first to call BOB a complete spoof? This has spoof written all over it. It’s over-the-top stupid, excessively insulting, and written intentionally poorly.

    You’re not the first. But if it’s a spoof, then it’s a flawless imitation. We think it more likely that BOB is not an imitation, because only Allah is flawless.

    Though one wonders why someone with BOB’s opinions would even read BJ, much less respond. So I suppose that’s counter-evidence in favor of the spoof theory.

    .

  68. 68.

    kay

    "I would like to apologize for a joke that was in no way an official response from Congressman Cantor, but instead an inappropriate email. I apologize to AFSCME for my inappropriate email containing an old video. Let me be clear, we know people are hurting in these trying times and House Republicans completely agree that we must pass an economic recovery bill that preserves, protects and create jobs for Americans facing these economic challenges,” said Brad Dayspring.

    Just a terrible idea. Tim Kaine is strolling around Virginia in a hard hat, pointing at…something or other being constructed, while conservative weenie Eric Cantor is snickering at bad words.

  69. 69.

    TheHatOnMyCat

    Am I the first to call BOB a complete spoof?

    Not exactly. Probably about 90, 91 here at BJ anyway.

    Of course he is a spoof. The only question is which one of our regular spoofs is writing him.

  70. 70.

    The Moar You Know

    What we’re seeing here are the results of a constant diet of Ayn Rand and Rush.

    Huh. I thought that result was 2112.

  74. 74.

    Rome Again

    Not exactly. Probably about 90, 91 here at BJ anyway.

    I"m about forty-something myself.

    I’m under the impression BOB’s problem is that he needs more electrolytes.

  76. 76.

    Rome Again

    Huh. I thought that result was 2112.

    Actually 2112 is the result, not the cause.

    With regard to the album, aptly, there is a song called Lessons included on that collection which will help us to reflect on what went wrong. Then the song Tears will help us come to grips with that wrongness.

  77. 77.

    Brick Oven Bill

    This is my very recent, as in minutes ago, interaction with unionized civil servants. Please understand that I am taking a concealment risk sharing this experience, but I feel it is important enough to share.

    So there I am, calling ‘S’, who missed a deadline. ‘S’ doesn’t know what I am talking about even though she does. I have been over this with ‘S’ many, many times. So ‘S’ refers me to ‘M’. And I say, OK, can I talk to ‘M’. And ‘S’ says no, he is in the other office. So I say, can I have the number to that other office, and ‘S’ concedes and gives me the number.

    So I call this other office, and ‘L’ answers. I ask ‘L’ to get me ‘M’. ‘L’ says that ‘M’ is, in fact, with ‘S’ at her office. So I say well, ‘L’, I just talked with ‘S’ and ‘S’ told me that ‘M’ was with you.* May I please have ‘M’s cell-phone number.

    So there I am again, calling ‘M’ on his cell phone. He answers! I have previously done ‘M’s work for him and just need for him to endorse it. I reference the job and ‘M’ does not recall our previous discussions. Then I tell ‘M’ all about how I did all of the research on this thing for him, and he remembers! But he wants some more information now, and I offer to email it to him.

    ‘M’ says that I cannot e-mail it to him, but I, instead, need to e-mail it to ‘S’.

    And this, my Balloon Juice friends, is why the stimulus package will fail.

    * ‘M’ is likely very intelligent. This is the same ‘two-office’ trick I used when working for the government. I wonder where ‘M’ really is.

  80. 80.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    it doesn’t make AFSCME look particularly bad.

    No, it doesn’t. When I had a union job I wouldn’t have minded at all if my dues helped air a commercial like that )

  82. 82.

    Jon

    Every time I see this ad (and I’ve been laughing at it for a long time), I wish they had a union for IT guys. I would sit in front of my PC with steel-toes and a hardhat all day long if this was our public face to the world. You got that, toughnuts?

  83. 83.

    Rome Again

    BOB, the org chart for your particular circumstance is not Obama’s org chart.

    Moreover, there are some government workers who really don’t care to do anything but collect a paycheck, but that is not all of them. Some government workers actually do care about doing a good job and are trying to do their job at the mercy of people like your friends M and S.

  84. 84.

    Ash Can

    @Joshua Norton:

    What we’re seeing here are the results of a constant diet of Ayn Rand and Rush.

    That’s some special stupid there. I suspect lead paint chips and/or other brain-rotting substances figure into that diet as well.

  85. 85.

    Ivan Ivanovich Renko

    I wish they had a union for IT guys.

    In my experience working with midwestern, conservative engineers (software and electrical), they’re among the most rabid, die-hard Rush-listening fookin’ eedjits I’ve ever seen.

    They like being taken advantage of, being forced to work long hours in crappy conditions for demanding pointy-haired bosses.

    Millionaires… and fools.

  86. 86.

    Mike in NC

    Eric Cantor: The Audacity of a Dope. This guy is so stupid he manages to make Newt Gingrich look like a deep-thinker and statesman.

  88. 88.

    ricky

    I get the impression from BOB’s real work experience that what is going on is that his former co-workers do not want him to know their exact physical location. It may be a bad hygiene experience.

    I think unions are part of the background noise, BOB. Did they ever take your stapler?

  91. 91.

    ricky

    I’m soooo on to the reference, I just can’t remember the name of the movie!

    Welcome to COSTCO. I love you.

  93. 93.

    ricky

    That shoulda been, "There are only two kinds of Republicans—millionaires and fools."

    Actually, there are three. When they mate or inherit there are millionaire/fools.

  94. 94.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    I just read over on TAP blog that inspired by this video clip someone started a facebook group called "We’re F—kin’ AFSCME"

    This is true. You’re looking at the newest f**kin’ member!

  95. 95.

    zzyzx

    @Ivan Ivanovich Renko: That’s because every single programmer out there thinks they’re in the top 10% of all programmers so any movement towards a seniority system would be horrid to them. It always amuses me to read political threads on slashdot.

  96. 96.

    AnneLaurie

    I’m beginning to agree with Matt Yglesias that the only reason anyone thinks Cantor is smart is because of ethnic profiling.

    You know the old canard about the kinda-pretty high school girl who chooses a fat, nerdy, self-loathing kid as her BFF so she’ll look even better in comparison? Cantor is the political equivalent — the middle-rank Repubs go, "Oh, that Eric must be S-M-R-T, being as he is one of Those People, and also he has such excellent grooming!" If he tried hanging with the *real* smart people, i.e. the progressive Democrats, it’d be all "Geez, Cantor, wouldja slow down on the stupid trickling out of your piehole at least long enough to change feet?"

    Or as Mark Twain said about a childhood acquaintance, "His only problem was that you could swap the contents of his head with the contents of a pie, and no-one would be worse off except the pie."

  98. 98.

    TheHatOnMyCat

    I’m under the impression BOB’s problem is that he needs more electrolytes.

    For a minute there I thought you said "electrolysis," but, yeah.

    You are writing some funny stuff today honey.

  99. 99.

    TheHatOnMyCat

    And this, my Balloon Juice friends, is why the stimulus package will fail.

    Because you won’t stop harassing people who are trying to get work done, to ask useless questions about your septic tank permit?

    Leave them alone and do something useful for crissakes.

  100. 100.

    jrosen

    I’m a middle-class retiree who did all right in a strange way — as a classical violinist. I’ve always thought that of all blue-collar workers, garbagemen (oops, sanitation engineers) should be the best paid. The work stinks (literally), has to be done in frying heat and freezing cold, and our lives depend on it (also literally). And these guys do it all the time, and have every as much right to be foul-mouthed as soldiers.

    I think the ad his terrific…for the union (my father helped to organize the AFT back in the 30’s). As for Mr. Cantor…as the recent Israeli election showed, Jews are just human: they produce many more a**holes than geniuses.

  102. 102.

    stickler

    I’m surprised people here are so gullible. Look: the video portion was clearly originally a commercial for AFSCME, produced (I’m guessing from the yellow Pontiac) in 1974 or ’75.

    The audio was clearly dubbed over, cleverly edited to SOUND old, in the last year or so. The part where the guy is going on about rats, while the car drives past a man spraying pesticide, indicates the tech nerd who wrote the script (or the paisan they hired to do the voice) is winging it. I mean, come on: do you think the freaking union guy can’t remember what AFSCME stands for? And, back in 1975 do you think they’d waste an extra copy of celluloid film on some stupid prank that you could never show publicly? Maybe, but I doubt it.

    And I’m glad that Brick Oven Bill has never had a bad telephone experience with our nation’s fine Private Industry. Why, when I call my ISP, or my gas company, I NEVER get shunted into telephone hell. Oh, goodness, no.

  103. 103.

    Evinfuilt

    That’s because every single programmer out there thinks they’re in the top 10% of all programmers so any movement towards a seniority system would be horrid to them. It always amuses me to read political threads on slashdot.

    As slashdot member 1009, let me say, I understand. Its as if hidden inside their O’reilly books is Ayn Rand dirty magazines. Its been like that since the begining of slashdot, pre-users. Its a happy libertarian online utopia, and don’t you dare that reality get in their way.

  107. 107.

    Brick Oven Bill

    I wish I could give you a tour of my civil servant friends, TheHatOnMyCat. I could make a much better video than this Cantor guy. It would be themed as a cross between the night of the living dead, and that Jabba the Hut scene from Star Wars. I actually did do septic tank permits, many moons ago, by the way. There is good money in septic systems.

    One of these nights, after a couple of beers, perhaps we could discuss methemoglobinemia and the mechanics of septic field failure. It really is a fascinating topic. But I’m into far more evil projects these days.

    And like those anaerobic bacteria, far under the slimy base of a septic trench, these government unions will consume whatever money is fed to them.

    Far better to introduce a standardized electrification design, and improve the railroads, to the tune of $500,000 per mile. This would create immediate jobs, and a long term public benefit.

  109. 109.

    TR

    I’m beginning to agree with Matt Yglesias that the only reason anyone thinks Cantor is smart is because of ethnic profiling.

    Who thinks Cantor is smart?! He’s the idiot who insisted to Chris Matthews that Congress had no constitutional role in declaring war.

  111. 111.

    Conservatively Liberal

    I wish someone would shove a rail up BOB’s ass and then electrify it. Running a train on it afterward is optional.

  112. 112.

    Ted

    You know, you clearly got the facts wrong when you said in your post that Cantor (or his office) created the video. They didn’t. It’s been around for a couple of years. All he did was forward it to someone. BFD.

    Why don’t you update your article with that little piece of information? Oh, that’s right – because it gets in the way of your liberal agenda.

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