Rep. Peter King (R-NY) appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room Monday afternoon and when Wolf Blitzer asked him to explain his statement that compared Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to a “carnival barker,” the Republican congressman opted not to walk back his comments but instead take about a dozen steps forward.
“We need intelligent debate in the country. Ted Cruz may be an intelligent person, but he doesn’t carry out an intelligent debate,” King said. “He oversimplifies, he exaggerates and he basically led the Republican Party over the cliff in the fall of 2013. He has shown no qualifications, no legislation being passed, doesn’t provide leadership and he has no real experience. So, to me, he is just a guy with a big mouth and no results.”
But would King support Cruz if he ended up becoming the Republican Party nominee for 2016?
“I hope that day never comes,” King told Blitzer. “I will jump off that bridge when we come to it.”
Works for me.
Mustang Bobby
Cruz is counting on Republicans like Peter King to despise him. That works for him with his base.
SiubhanDuinne
I didn’t think I would ever in my life have reason to applaud Rep. Peter King for anything, but that line (“I will jump off that bridge when we come to it.”) is fucking brilliant. Good for him.
Kropadope
Ahhh, Representative Peter King, the guy I always think of first when Steven King of Iowa is in the news for doing something crazy, which is a lot. You’d think I’d have it straight by now.
BethanyAnne
I posted this a little further down, but reposting because awesome. I haven’t seen it here yet. Have you seen the #GunsWithHistory video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nAfWfF4TjM It has the NRA pissed the fuck off, which pleases me mightily.
raven
Oh, to live on Sugar Mountain
With the barkers and the colored balloons,
You can’t be twenty on Sugar Mountain
Though you’re thinking that
you’re leaving there too soon,
You’re leaving there too soon.
Laertes
My grandma always said that an ignorant oaf is right twice a day.
jharp
The only thing I don’t like about Cruz’s candidacy is it makes the other whack jobs look saner.
Other than that it is very entertaining.
Mike E
When you come to a fork in the road…
Roger Moore
This seems like an excellent diagnosis. I might sharpen it up a bit by saying that Ted Cruz carries out debate team style debate, where the goal is to impress judges, rather than legislative debate, where the goal is to arrive at good policy.
Peale
“He oversimplifies, he exaggerates” said the guy who came on TV after the underwear bomber incident let us know that our security system is a failure and you might be the next victim.
GxB
Can he also be the cow on the train tracks?
Jezuz these idiots couldn’t debate their way out of a wet paper bag and still they get elected, Guess that says a lot about who the real idiots are.
Gin & Tonic
@GxB: I certainly don’t profess to know every one of the 435 representatives, but I do know a bit about Peter King and his district, and I can assure you that “debate” is entirely unnecessary. Peter King represents the majority in his district perfectly.
Cervantes
@SiubhanDuinne:
He’s not the first to say it but it’s a good line and he put it to good use.
(Another favorite of mine: “I’ll burn that bridge when I come to it.”)
Mary G
I always enjoy seeing the pot call the kettle black.
scav
@Laertes: Only if he’s consistent and monotonous might an ignorant oaf attain that twice a day figure. If he’s flexibly pandering, he can drive it down to never and if he pundits, possibly to even below that.
geg6
@BethanyAnne:
That video is fucking awesome. Someone with some cash (yes, I’m looking at you, Boomberg) should pony up to get it in wider circulation.
jl
I am curious whether any windbag in the corporate media has asked King to explain his smear against Jewish Americans, Democrats, Jewish Democrats, and anyone who does not believe that Netanyahu is at every instant, the infallible embodiment of all Israel and all that is good.
rk
And what a cliff that was. They fell into an increased majority in the house and senate!
Cervantes
@jl:
Just FYI: That was a different King — an Iowan.
jl
@Cervantes: OK, thanks for the correction. I saw the name ‘King’ and the outrage of the other King returned, and I became careless.
But, I am still curious whether Steven King, as opposed to Peter King, has been asked to explain his comments by any of the windbags in the corporate media? Did anyone even take note?
Liberal genocide!
Kropadope
@jl: See above.
SiubhanDuinne
@Cervantes:
That one I’ve heard, and it is also good. Have to say, I never came across “I’ll jump off … ” before this example.
Roger Moore
@jl:
You’re confusing Steve King (R-IA) with Peter King (R-NY). Peter King is pretty bad, but he appears to have at least some tenuous grip on reality, as shown by his comments here. It was Steve King who said the hateful stuff about “Jews in America”; he’s just an awful human being.
NeenerNeener
@Cervantes: My favorite variation, from an old boss: ‘We’ll burn that bridge when we’re on it”.
NotMax
@jl
Mnemonic device.
Peter King: IRA
Steven King: I-o-way
raven
@NotMax:
B.B. King – Lucille
raven
Albert King – The Sky Is Crying
raven
And if you want to hear the real deal
Elmore James – The Sky is Crying
Roger Moore
@raven:
Stephen King- The Shining
Cervantes
@jl:
Have not seen any challenge in the media — but I have not bothered to look, either.
I do know that Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) tried to call him on it via Twitter but I doubt it worked.
Renie
King is full of shit. He’s my rep and he says crap like this all the time and then votes straight party line. I’m sure he thinks Cruz is an idiot cuz he thinks most people are idiots but he will still do what the party wants him to do.
raven
@Roger Moore: You know I never watched it. Never was interested.
SiubhanDuinne
@Cervantes:
@jl:
@Roger Moore:
NotMax
@raven
It’s another in the plethora of films with Jack Nicholson doing a Jack Nicholson impression in place of acting.
JPL
@Renie: If Peter jumps off that bridge, is it possible that a dem could carry the district?
Tree With Water
Just keep in mind the fucker would vote for Cruz, too. That’s what people should remember about King’s denunciation.. Just like he once cast his ballot for Sarah Palin and what’s-his-name. Republicans are all looney tune characters, only devoid the original’s charms or senses of humor, all the while living lives mean as snakes. Indeed, it a wonder Rahm Emanuel didn’t throw in with them. If he had, he might well have gained their presidential nomination, such are the depths of his talents. I bet he sometimes wishes he had.
raven
@NotMax: I mean I know the story and I’ve seen a million clips. I also love Shelley, Altman’s “Three Women” was the bomb! Jack was good in Hell’s Angels on Wheels, I have the VHS complete with Sonny Barger!
SFAW
@jl:
Pope Bibi?
What are the Hebrew and Yiddish translations of “habemus papam“?
SFAW
@raven:
Ah, the good old days …
Renie
@JPL: I doubt it. Unfortunately I live smack in the middle of the Republican base of Nassau County. His district was realigned recently so maybe in the future but he has a huge war chest built up cuz he never has had any solid opponents he has to spend money against. He always has the cops and firefighters in his pockets and, of course, the Irish Catholics. (Of which I am one). I’ve worked on several campaigns against him and the democratic candidate always does poorly.
raven
@SFAW: Actually it’s an awful movie with a ridiculous ending but still. . . Wow it’s online!
Chris T.
@Peale: So he’s projecting? But applied here, it’s accurate anyway. It’s like a broken clock, except that it’s not like my broken clock, which says that it’s 12:93…
SFAW
@raven:
Oh, I don’t give a shit about the movie, it was just weird seeing Barger’s name again after I-don’t-know-how-many years. Made me almost feel like a kid again.
WaterGirl
@Roger Moore: Thanks for going with Steve King rather than Steven King, which gets confusing because his name sounds like the horror genre writer, even though they are spelled differently.
SFAW
@Chris T.:
Does it also go to 11?
WaterGirl
@raven: The creepy preview with the blood and the elevator was more than enough to make me never want to see that movie.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: I thought it was George Bernard Shaw who said that.
(just a little joke for Cervantes)
Villago Delenda Est
What is most disturbing to me is that no one amongst the Rethuglicans, not even Rand Aqua-Buddha Paul, is calling out Cruz on his Jeebofascism. King has to know that as a Catholic, he’d be one of those scheduled for “processing” under a Dominionist regime, which Cruz most assuredly plans to implement should he ever get to the levers of power.
NotMax
@WatergIrl
If one adds up Shaw, Shakespeare, Wilde and the Algonquin Round Table, it has all already been said (at least in English).
WaterGirl
OT, but does anyone her know the status of the investigation related to the black man who was found dead hanging from a tree last week? Last I heard, they were trying to determine whether it was murder or suicide. As I recall, the word “lynch” was nowhere to be found as a possibility in that article, which I found to be absurd.
Mike in NC
We read today that in a rare lucid moment, John McCain referred to his Texas colleague Ted Cruz as a “wacko bird”.
MomSense
@raven:
Yes!! All three sooo good.
Cervantes
@Mike in NC:
Not exactly an endangered species, either.
Chris T.
@Villago Delenda Est:
Many faults spring from the assumption that “in power now means in power forever”. Steve King “knows” that such rules only apply to other others, not the Steve Kings of this world.
JPL
@WaterGirl: The preliminary autopsy report is suppose to be released this week. Supposedly, the lack of struggle suggests suicide.
jl
All I can say is that I am sure relieved that the infighting does not mean that the GOP is in disarray.
And actually, they probably are not, since political parties typically unite more than primary infighting indicates that they will.
But, i seem to have developed an entrenched bitter hatred and resentment of outrages corporate media bias in news and analysis.
max
@Kropadope: Ahhh, Representative Peter King, the guy I always think of first when Steven King of Iowa is in the news for doing something crazy, which is a lot. You’d think I’d have it straight by now.
Peter King always looks like a mad scientist or a used car salesman jacked up on crack.
max
[‘Steve King is forever after Cantaloupe Man.’]
Cervantes
@max:
Will he catch him?
Roger Moore
@Cervantes:
Probably not, given that Cantaloupe Man makes his living hauling 75 pound packs of marijuana across the desert. I doubt Steve King is capable of that kind of workout.
mdblanche
@SiubhanDuinne:
I never thought I’d share a chuckle with with Peter King, but if these two could who knows what else is possible?
WaterGirl
@JPL: Thanks for that. Unless they drugged him or knocked him out in some way. If it was suicide, making a statement? No matter what, terrible for the family.
JPL
@WaterGirl: It’s sad indeed. If he was drugged, it would take weeks to determine. I found it odd that they didn’t mention whether or not the sheets were his.
Mike in NC
We were in King’s stomping grounds on Long Island for several days a few years ago for a funeral. Per Wikipedia, his old district was 87% white, 2% black, and 7% Hispanic until 2012. Thanks to redistricting now about 60% white, but still seeing a black face there is rarer than finding a needle in a haystack. He should coast to another term in the House.
BethanyAnne
@geg6: I saw it on Maddow, and noticed that TPM was linking to it as well. I was hoping the NRA’s temper tantrum over it would raise it to national news.Glad you and WaterGirl earlier liked it. :)
Tree With Water
@Renie: The best thing that could happen to Iowa would be to re-schedule its primary to late June. As the primary season opener, the political riff-raff that constantly gravitate towards your state appears to have adversely affected Iowans capacity to think clearly (i.e., Joni Ernst).
From my vantage point in California, Iowa’s politics long seemed to resemble the politics of Oregon (regrettably, not so much recently). Although traditionally conservative, Oregon is a state that will, on occasion, embrace a progressive agenda and make it work. I’d like to see that again in Iowa, to see the state regain its balance.
kindness
Cruz has to know the numbers. He has to know he has no chance of being elected, even if he is the nominee. So then, what is it he really wants out of all this theater?
burnspbesq
@mdblanche:
The last thing I needed to see today is a picture of Ian Fucking Paisley, may he rot in hell.
Zinsky
The sclerotic old turd burglar made a funny. Ha ha.
WaterGirl
@JPL: Let’s hope that the people who are investigating actually want the truth and not a whitewash.
Tree With Water
@kindness: Some will say that Secretary of Defense Cruz has a nice ring it it. I’m sure he’d work in tandem just fine with Secretary of State Bolton.
ShadeTail
@kindness: Attention, obviously. That’s all he ever wanted. Cruz is cut from the same cloth as Sarah “the quitter” Palin; they’re both grifters pretending to be politicians, padding their bank accounts with donations from the rubes. The difference is that Cruz is a bit smarter, and knows how not to piss off his dupes the way Palin did with her graceless exit from the 2012 GOP primary.
pseudonymous in nc
@Renie:
Yep, he’s King of the Plastic Paddies, which is why he was so eager to gad about with Gerry Adams and radiate in the rebel glory back in the day, i.e. before he decided that blowing things up was a bad thing.
Tree With Water
@ShadeTail: I disagree. It’s more like Cruz is the same breed of cat as Dick Cheney. And so long as Texas returns him to congress, he’s far more dangerous for it than Sarah Palin on her best day.
divF
@Cervantes:
Tree With Water
@divF: It worked out for Cortez like that, too.
Ian
@Villago Delenda Est:
That would require thinking through the results of one’s desires.
brantl
@Kropadope: Why? They’re both wackaloons.
Renie
@Tree With Water: I think you are mixing up the Kings, Steve King is from Iowa – Peter King is from New York, where I am.
Renie
@pseudonymous in nc: I was in his office a few times to deliver MoveOn petitions and he has a ton of photos on the wall of himself with Gerry Adams. Even saw a pix of him with Nixon.