Improved Clinch

Did Not, Did Too, Did Not, Did Too

The political discourse in this country is akin to a bunch of grade school kids arguing in a manner similar to the title to this post. Of course, at times, the discourse somewhat takes intellectual flight, but alas it carries not quite as far as the Wright brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk.

Stopping by Drudge this morning I find posted an “exclusive” which follows. No links to these quotations, they are simply posted to Drudge’s page.

” 1/16/04 3:15 PM ET **Exclusive** In 1996 Senator John Kerry proposed to “get rid of the Agriculture Department,” the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal. A move—that if successful—would have likely resulted in subsidies cuts and programs for Iowa growers. “I think we can reduce the size of Washington,” Kerry said on January 6, 1996. “Get rid of the Energy Department. Get rid of the Agriculture Department, or at least render it three-quarters the size it is today; there are more agriculture bureaucrats than there are farmers in this country”... “

The briefest of intellectual flights.

Drudge, obligingly, provides us with a comment from Dean’s spokeswoman Tricia Enright, which, I assume, is meant as a rebuttal to this almost seven year old Kerry musing.

"Dean spokeswoman Tricia Enright said the Kerry quotes should alarm Iowans. “Teachers and farmers in Iowa will be disappointed to hear that Senator Kerry wanted to dismantle the Department of Agriculture and gut the Department of Education,” Enright said. “That’s not the kind of change that Iowans are looking for”... “

Enright, woefully, is correct. Iowans don’t desire “change,” they desire fistfulls of dollars from everyone elses pockets, and appealling to them intellectually on the issue, is similar to discoursing with hogs or feed corn already shucked.

A quote.

"The penalty of intelligence is oblivion."

H.L. Mencken, A Mencken Chrestomathy, Forgotten Men, pg. 226

Posted by on 01/17 at 06:59 AM