Absurd and just plain dumb

Oh, and just to show I can enjoy a dumb quote regardless of the speaker, I will add this one from President Bush.

"I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me."


Ya gotta laugh, at least a little.

After we took the Philippines in the Spanish War, President McKinley told reporters that we would be a civilizing influence on the natives, and bring Christianity to them. One of the reporters pointed out that the Philippines is a Catholic nation. McKinely replied: "Exactly."

McKinely was from Ohio and he was politically strongest in the midwest. Shoring up his base I presume.

Although I'm sure he didn't mean it to be absurd or dumb let us not forget "I am not a crook".

This may not exactly fit the stupid sayings category, but i've always been fond of an incident at the beginning of the Lincoln administration. When Lincoln was in the House, his closest friend was William Fessenden, who had been sent to the Senate in 1854 after his tenure in the House. (He was a "radical" Republican and later fell out with Lincoln, but that's neither here nor there.)

Lincoln repaid a political favor and appointed Simon Cameron as Secretary of War. Cameron began handing out the pork as fast as he could, and there was scandalous theft in office and cronyism. Fessenden has opposed Cameron's appointment, and at a White House reception, Lincoln said: "Surely you're not saying that Secretary Cameron would steal?" To which Fessenden replied: "Well, he wouldn't steal a red-hot stove." As the gathering was public, word quicly got back to Cameron, who publicly confronted Fessenden in the halls of the Capitol, demaning an apology. Fessenden replied: "I'm sorry I said you wouldn't steal a red-hot stove."

What fun!

This was not a political favor, it was a political deal. The votes of the Pennsylvania delegation (which were in Cameron's pocket) at the Republican convention in 1860 was contingent on Cameron being promised a cabinet post. Lincoln did the deal and got the nomination and Cameron became Secretary of War. Fessenden later replaced Chase as Secretary of the Treasury.

While on the campaign trail in 1992, Clinton and Gore toured the museum at Monticello. At one point, Gore stopped in front of busts of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette, and John Paul Jones, and asked the curator "Who are these people?"

Wikipedia

You might have quoted the rest of t he paragraph:

"Although this quote appears embarrassing, most Americans would have difficulty identifying a bust of many of these figures. Bronze-cast busts are not as easily recognizable"

"If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for the schoolchildren of Texas."

--attributed, in various forms, both to Gov. James Ferguson and Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson of Texas

"My responsibility is to follow the Scriptures which call upon us to occupy the land until Jesus returns."

--James Watt, secretary of the interior under Ronald Reagan

"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."

--George H. W. Bush, Aug. 27, 1987

I'm sure a conservative newspaper could rationalize Bush out of his gaffes too. He should have at least recognized Washington and Franklin, particularly since their names were almost certainly written on the statues. The fact is that in an American History museum, Gore displayed utter ignorance of the appearances of the Founding Fathers.

somehow, i didn't think John Kerry was that droll. the quotes attributed to him by mysteryman were in fact uttered by Dan Quayle.

anybody coming over from WA2K, my apologies for repeating this correction.

source

Two Arabs boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the
other sat next to him in the middle seat.
Just before takeoff, an American sat down in the aisle seat.

After takeoff, the American kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was
settling in when the Arab in the window seat said, "I need to get up and
get a
coke."
Don't get up," said the American, "I'm in the aisle seat, I'll get it
for
you."
As soon as he left, one of the Arabs picked up the American's shoe and spat
in it.
When he returned with the coke, the other Arab said, "That looks good, I'd

really like one,too."
Again, the American obligingly went to fetch it.
While he was gone the other Arab picked up his other shoe and spat in it.
When the American returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight. As the
plane was landing, the American slipped his feet into his shoes and knew
immediately what had happened.
"Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must
this go on?
This fighting between our nations? This hatred? This animosity? This spitting
in
shoes and pissing in cokes?"

JL.....thanks, I needed that.