Kyl jokes about Obama drowning

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Hill

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) got a big laugh on Saturday at a National Republican Senatorial Committee retreat, but his joke definitely wouldn't be funny to some people.

According to a source who attended the meetings, Kyl told the assembled crowd a political version of the classic three-people-in-a-boat joke: "So Obama, Pelosi and Reid are in a row boat, and it springs a leak and starts to sink. Who gets saved?"

Answer: "The American people."

But love it or hate it, it wasn't even Kyl's own joke. The senator poached it from late night TV host Jimmy Kimmel, according to a source.


Read more: http://washingtonscene.thehill.com/in-the-know/36-news/3879-kyl-jokes-about-obama-drowning

---

[KingFlorez]

1. A house falls on John Kyl, who wins?

Everybody.

[SoapBox]

2. Who is scum?

...this guy.

[qazplm]

3. eh

if the joke were about Bush we'd all be ok with it.

Not particularly funny, but pretty standard joke.

[AlbertCat]

6. if the joke were about Bush we'd all be ok with it.

True.

But it would have a whole different feel to it... it would be more true, with what we know the Bushies did and did not do.

[No Elephants]

22. You and qazplm should be speaking only for yourselves, not for "all" at DU

Especially qazplm, whose profile suggests he might not frequent DU enough to know what "we" "all" would have been okay with.

[MadMaddie]

10. Sorry, but * life was not threatened over and over day in and day

out. These jokes hold a racial element to them, they are right on the edge and that's why you hear them from political figures.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

11. I don't recall ANY of that kind of stuff on DU during Bush's "reign"

We all said some pretty strong stuff, but I don't recall anything written here that wished him personal harm.

Unless you count wanting to see him behind bars.

I don't call that wishing him harm, I call it justice served.

[MadMaddie]

13. That was my recollection too.

The thing is the more that people say this and are not confronted the more acceptable it becomes. That is unacceptable to me.

[No Elephants]

25. No United States Senator made this kind of joke about Bush in public. That's the salient

diference, not qazplm's doubly false equivalency. Doubly false bc (a)s/he is equating anonymous DU posters with a United States Senator speaking publicly; and (b)s/he is not telling the truth about DUers anyway. And Please see Reply 20.

[Zoeisright]

37. Exactly.

Kyl is a classic KKK member.

[Mz Pip]

18. I don't recall a sitting

Democratic Senator making a joke like this about Bush.

I sort of expect our elected officials to have a bit more class, even if they are Republican. The Republicans would have been screaming about this if a Democratic Senator had made the same joke about Bush, Cheney and Tom Delay.

[No Elephants]

20. 2117 posts since 2004 and that's one of them? Seriously? Anyway, I call bs.

How does someone with a little over 2000 posts in about six years purport to be able to speak for "all" of us?

Actually, no matter how many posts you do or do not have, I call bs on your post. It simply is untrue.

Moreover, a joke by some shlub at a bar or a message boad is one thing. A joke by a United State Senator is entirely different. Especially since the climate has changed, even since Bush.

[verdalaven]

28. I've been here since 2004

and I agree, I do not remember seeing anyone threaten bush. In fact, when that Canadian film came out depicting bush's assassination, there were plenty on DU who spoke out against it. Our leaders really should not encourage the whackos out there who are just looking for high level validation to do something incredibly stupid.

But I have to say something about post count and what that means as a DUer. I am here every day. Every day for the last six years. This is my first morning stop for news and has been since I found DU. I don't post often, especially here lately, because I am not one of the "guys" who posts all the time. That is fine. I am not here to make friends or impress people. I am here to stay in touch with the liberal/progressive movement. And this will be my 463d (??) post. I guess that means I don't have any credibility at DU either? I have to say, that attitude on this board shuts people out. People like me.

So. Instead of attacking his post count, why not just make your point and leave it at that?

[AlbertCat]

4. Answer: "The American people."

Not if these bozos step in to replace them. :eyes:

[bigworld]

5. I can't believe a major TV host would have made that "joke"

even Jimmy Kimmel if you can call him major.

[butterfly77]

14. he probably did,,,

He joked about michael jackson the night he died. He thinks everything is funny he and many in the media I have been waiting for someone to smack the shit out of,,,Then I can laugh for real.

[scarface2004]

7. john kyl has a heart attack and dies.....who wins!

i do, i got him in my dead pool!

[bluestateguy]

8. "The White House also declined to reply to a request for comment."

Of course. Because any response at all would be labeled playing the "race card" by these same assholes.

[No Elephants]

23. The dignity of the President of the United States is above replying to crap like that from the

likes of Kyl. When you punch that far down, you have to lower yourself. No reason why the POTUS should lower himself into a pointless pissing contest with Kyl for the entertainment of the media. Let them work for a living by doing some real reporting, for a change, instead of just by stirring pots.

That's my view, anyway.

[Jefferson23]

9. This is a letter posed to Kyl by one voter who claims to be an Independent, if true, watch out Kyl

the last laugh may be on you.

Subject:
GOP & WALL STREET CORRUPTED ALLIANCE CONTINUES. ISN'T THEIR ONE HONEST & COURAGEOUS REPUBLICAN TO EMBRACE RIGHTEOUS REFORM AND THE PEOPLE?

To:
Sen. Jon Kyl

April 27, 2010

LAST CHANCE FOR THE GOP, OR EVEN ONE HONEST AND COURAGEOUS AMERICAN REPUBLICAN SENATOR OF THE PEOPLE, TO EMBRACE WALL STREET AND FINANCIAL REFORM.

WE THE INDEPENDENTS WILL PUNISH ALL (GOP & DEMOCRATS) WHO CONTINUE TO SELL OUT AMERICA AND ITS CITIZENS VIA CORRUPTED SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY.

SENATOR BROWN (R- MA) HAS BEEN EXPOSED AS A TROJAN HORSE FOR A GOP (GANG OF PHONIES) AND IS CLEARLY NO INDEPENDENT AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE. HE IS HISTORY IN 2012.

>TIME IS SHORT - AND ARE MEMORY IS LONG.

Last night, to a person, like lemmings, every Republican Senator followed their leadership over a political cliff. They all voted against even debating a bill to hold the big Wall Street banks accountable. And the reason: they were drunk on Wall Street money.

It's really quite remarkable. Polls show two-thirds of the electorate strongly in favor of legislation to hold the big Wall Street banks accountable. And its not surprising, since most Americans believe -- correctly -- that the recklessness of the big Wall Street banks cost eight million Americans their jobs -- and cost millions more their savings and pensions.

remainder of rant here: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/userletter/?letter_id=5107276581&content_dir=congressorg

[DRex]

12. big deal. nt

[No Elephants]

24. You considered posting "Big deal" worth coming out of the woodwork? LOL

Are you qazplm or only his or her kissin'cousin/soul mate?

Too funny.

[DRex]

36. What?

Who is qazplm? And while we're at it, who the hell are you? What woodwork?

Can't post a comment around here without some dick trying to insult you with some obscure forum humour. Get a life.

[Divine Discontent]

15. considering it was KIMMEL who told it last night, we know it's not funny - that man SPEWS unfunny!

he's nearly the worst thing on television, and that's saying a lot...

the only thing worse I can think of is that atrociously bad whiny nerd from SNL who has his own show now (who'd he sleep with, really...)

[No Elephants]

27. Did you hear Kimmel? Or are you going by The Hill's unnamed "source?"

If you say you heard it, I'd believe you, but not the author of this article.

The author could easily have checked if Kimmel actually said it before Kyl did or not. That's not poetry or rocket science. Either Kimmel actually said it or he didn't. It's also not inside or classified info, but national TV. A single phone call to Kimmel's show or the network from a journalist would probably have done the trick. So, I'm wondering why the author of this article, Christina Wilkie, resorted to a "source."

Either she's one of the dumbest, laziest "journalists" on the face of the planet, or she does not want to take responsiblity for making a half assed stab at getting Kyl off the hook. (As if the fact that "it wasn't even" Kyl's joke to begin with somehow relieves Kyl of responsiblity for repeating it.) But, something about resorting to an unnamed source to say what was or wasn't on national TV just does not smell right.

Full disclosure: In general, I don't trust The Hill.



I don't watch Kimmel every night by any means, but I have yet to hear anything this uniquely and extremely right wing from him or I would not ever watch his show. I have no desire to increase ratings for wads.


I do believe Kyl did not originate the joke, though. He's not even witty enough to come up with a joke in extremely bad taste. Not by half. ;)

[24601]

16. It's as funny as the President joking about using predators to

kill the Jonas Brothers. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2010/05/obama-drone-joke-was-it-offens.html?hpid=artslot

Nothing like using the power of your office to joke about murdering civilians of any nationality. If this was the ANYBODY joking about using predators against the President, the Secret Service would be investigating.

[Divine Discontent]

19. a tacky joke b/c they're twice the age of his 9 &11 year olds, sure. but joking about

taking them out if they got any ideas is pretty normal fodder for how un-PC these jokes are at this event. I am shocked each year at the stuff they say.

Sounds like something from The Art of War. We're at our weakest when there is division and fights going in our nation, and our enemies know they can be successful at striking us during times like this. :(

So the joke is silly and uncalled for, but, with all the bad things going on with teaklanners disrupting our civility, natural disaster, unnatural disasters - we're weakened. And, the JB can go home and rest their offended heads on their super expensive pillows and beds and be thankful that this country is still as safe as it is considering all the hellish things going on around us that could really jeopardize all of our safety from our enemies. :(

Again, it was a stupid joke. But, alas, just a joke.

[No Elephants]

32. You can't equate what it may (or may not) be okay for a stand up comic to say

at this event with what is okay for the POTUS to say.

That said, I'd bet money that the Jonas Brothers were tickled to be mentioned by the POTUS during a nationally televised event. They know he is not going to kill them--or hinting that America would be helped by their deaths.

And it can't hurt their careers to remind their very young fans that the First Daughters adore them.

Dummya's WMD joke on the other hand, about causing untold suffering because of SMD that were nowhere to be found is another story entirely. The widows, parents and children of people of all nations who died as a result of Dummya's inability to find WMD are very unlikely to take that joke the way that the Jonas Brothers are likely to take Obama's joke. One was patently untrue and potentially flattering, the other all too true and lethal.

[24601]

38. I'm gonna hold the guy I like to the same standard as the one I

detest. It's not situational in my view. With the increase in the predator attacks, the civilian count is increasing. Just because they are Pakastni or Afghanistani, their loss & pain isn't any less as anyone here who has a relative murdered on the streets.

[No Elephants]

29. Fail.

The Jonas Brothers have not been the target of numerous right wing or racist assassination threats in the last few years. Nor have RW churches been praying for the death of the Jonas Brothers, etc.

And, in that realm, Obama is not perceived as a leader, as in "Senator Kyl, from your mouth to God's ears (courtesy of my gun).

When was the last time a United States Senator felt comfortable joking about the death of the President of the United States, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority leader in public? When was the last time, in a climate as charged with assassination threats as the climate today, would a decent United States Senator have even WANTED to joke about a dead President, a dead Speaker and a dead Senate Majority Leader? If that is the extent of Kyl's judgment and humanity, his state needs to think really hard about re-electing him.

The President joking that he was use predator drones if the Jonas Brothers acted improperly toward his daughters is not the same thing at all as a United States Senator "joking," in this anti-government, anti-Democratic, anti-Obama charged climate that the deaths of the nation's three highest ranking Democrats would solve America's problems. Not even close. Maybe not 100% a great idea on the part of Obama's jokewriters, but not even close.

Please see also, Reply # 32.

Kyl's joke is almost as unfunny as Dummya's WMD joke. President Obama's joking reminder of the massive crush his daughters have on the Jonas Brohers was nothing like Kyl's stupidity. Why any DUer would attempt that mega false equivalency here is beyond me.

[woo me with science]

17. NOBODY MAKE JOKES!

NOBODY!!!!!!!!!

[No Elephants]

31. Self Delete.

[lbrtbell]

21. Screw you, Kyl

*end of transmission*

[Earth Bound Misfit]

26. Douche-nozzle.

I'm hardly surprised though. It's what re-PIG-LICK-cons do--continuously befoul the atmosphere by emitting dangerous toxins via their obnoxious pie-holes.

[deacon_sephiroth]

30. 2 words Jon Kyl...

predator drones

[No Elephants]

33. I don't trust The Hill as far as I can throw its server. This is NOT a joke about Obama drowning.

At best, it is a so-called joke, from a United States Senator of the Party that pretends to be patriotic, about America's problems being over if Obama, Pelosi and Reid were dead.

So, why does The Hill call it a joke about drowning, and also make a lame attempt to mitigate Kyl's stupidity and/or treachery with a half assed remark about how Kyl did not even originate the joke?

Please see also Reply 27.

IMO, The Hill is like FOX, but tries to be a lot sneakier about its bias.

Speaking of which, I honestly don't remember media referring to President Bush as "Bush" or "Mr. Bush" (without referring to "President Bush" earlier in the article) as much as they now refer to President Obama as "Obama" or "Mr. Obama" (without first referring to him as President Obama).

What the hell happened to "respect for the Office" the RW used to mutter about incessantly and meaninglessly whenever Dummya got criticized by lowly message board posters? Why aren't they up in arms now?

Oh, I forgot. The biggest double standard wankers in America, they are.

[City Lights]

34. How mature.

Why do so many republicans have the maturity level of a middle school child? The republicans in my family and around my neighborhood are the same way, so it's not limited to elected republicans.

[Baalath]

35. What's going to be done about kimmel starting it?

Anything at all?

[24601]

39. Let's repeal the 1st amendment and allow only popular speech. n/t

[classysassy]

40. Kyl,klassless,klown.