Saturday, September 6, 2008

"Uh,While You're At It There, Congressman, Look Up the Word "Moron"....


This is too funny for words…

(CNN) - Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland was unaware a word he used to describe Barack and Michelle Obama on Thursday carries racial overtones, a spokesman for the congressman told CNN.

Westmoreland, who represents Georgia's third district, described the Obamas as "uppity" when asked by reporters in Washington to compare Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin with the wife of the Democratic presidential candidate.

“Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they’re a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they’re uppity,” Westmoreland said, according to the Capitol Hill Newspaper the Hill.

Westmoreland's spokesman, Brian Robinson, insisted the congressman did not know the word has been used with a racially derogatory intent against African-Americans.

"When describing the Obamas as part of an elite class, Congressman Westmoreland also used a synonym for elitist: uppity. He was using the dictionary definition of the word, which is having 'an inflated self-esteem' or 'snobbish.' He stands by that characterization and thinks it accurately describes the Democratic nominee. He was unaware that the word had racial overtones and he had absolutely no intention of using a word that can be considered offensive," Robinson said.

Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for Obama's campaign, would not comment to CNN, but told The Hill, " “Sounds like Rep. Westmoreland should be careful throwing stones from his candidate’s eight glass houses."

Robinson said it is important to note the Obama campaign did not note the racial overtones of the word in its response.

"Congressman Westmoreland and Senator Obama may not agree on much, but at least they can agree that Congressman Westmoreland was not referring to race," Robinson said.

I don’t know about you, but the first thing I did, after reading the first paragraph and even before reading on to find out the “word”, was jump ahead a little to see where this Congressman was from.

And it was the one two punch of reading that he was from Georgia and then reading the “word” that made me literally laugh out loud.

God, I love these guys.

Assuming that Rep Westmoreland is older than, say, twelve (he is, in fact 58..), you cant help but see the humor of a guy from Georgia who says he didn’t “realize” that the term “uppity” might be construed as a racial thing.

Is there anybody on the planet who was alive during the fifties and sixties, let alone before that, who doesn’t know that one adjective very commonly used by bigots to describe blacks in those days was “uppity”?

And for the next chuckle, you gotta love the fallback position.

The Congressman was “using the dictionary definition of the word”.

I do a fun feature on the morning show called “Boneheads in The News”.

Here’s the dictionary definition of the word “bonehead.”

Bonehead (n) - a stupid person; these words are used to express a low opinion of someone's intelligence

Here’s a thing, though.
Turns out to have a slang definition, as well.

Bonehead - A racist posing as a Skinhead

And please keep in mind that I mean no offense to Rep. Westmoreland when I call him a bonehead.

I’m just using the dictionary definition of the word.

http://westmoreland.house.gov/

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