Archive for the ‘Campaign Humor’ Category
Monday, July 12th, 2010
So far, Senator David Vitter of Louisiana has survived several scandals ranging from soliciting a prostitute from the “D.C. Madam,” to keeping a “women’s issues” aide (Brent Furer) on staff who allegedly held his girlfriend hostage at knifepoint.
But now he’s confronting a brand new challenge — a last minute, unexpected primary fight launched by retired Judge Chet Traylor.
And that brings me to my latest two-verse limerick:
David Vitter’s Traylor Travails
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The scandal-scarred Senator Vitter
Got struck with a last minute hitter:
A primary fight
From the GOP’s right.
Now he’s bitter. I read it on Twitter.
Chet Traylor has pulled off this filing,
And bus’nesses find him beguiling—
Former judge who’s a fan
Of the sodomy ban.
And that’s why Dave Vitter ain’t smiling.
Tags: Chet Traylor, David Vitter, Election Humor, Louisiana, Republican Primary
Posted in Campaign Humor, David Vitter, Election Satire, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire | 3 Comments »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
The language police are at it again. Republicans and Fox News (sorry to be redundant) are simply horrified at President Obama’s “unpresidential” language.
What are they so pretend-upset about? Obama used the word ass in response to Matt Lauer’s oil crisis question about kicking butt.
Apparently this is extremely shocking to the same folks who had no problem with f**ks from Bush, Cheney, and McCain.
That brings me to my latest limerick:
Kick-Ass Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The Republicans’ delicate ears
Are offended by ass, it appears.
F**k is fine from McCain,
Bush, and Cheney — that’s plain.
But ass from Barack begets jeers.
Tags: Barack Obama, Dick Cheney Satire, Fox News Satire, John McCain, Language Police, Language Satire, Matt Lauer, Republican Hypocrisy
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Dick Cheney Satire, Election Satire, Etiquette Humor, Fox News Humor, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, John McCain, Language Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, White House | 5 Comments »
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
Harry Reid sure caught a lucky break Tuesday: Nevada’s looniest would-be Senator won the Republican nomination. Yes, Senator Reid’s opponent will be the wingnutty Sharron Angle, a woman with views so odd, she almost manages to make Rand Paul look semi-normal.
Nevada’s Wingnut Angle (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Harry’s hopes for November looked bleak,
With Republican odds at their peak.
But he’ll easily wrangle
The wacky Ms. Angle.
Thank you, wingnuts, for picking a freak.
Tags: Campaign Satire, Election Humor, Harry Reid, Nevada, Rand Paul, Senate Satire, Sharron Angle, Wingnuts
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Harry Reid, Media Satire, Nevada Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Rand Paul, Republicans Humor, White House, Wingnuts | 2 Comments »
Monday, June 7th, 2010
It turns out that Mark Kirk’s problems with the truth go well beyond exaggerating his military resume. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, the Illinois Republican nominee for U.S. Senate has a habit of telling international tall tales about Iranian oil imports, France’s handling of pirates, and the China-drilling-for-oil-off-the-Cuban-coast fable.
Are these deliberate lies? Or is Mark Kirk woefully ill-informed? I’m not sure, but neither explanation would speak well of a would-be senator who’s ostensibly an expert in foreign affairs.
That brings me to my latest limerick:
Kirk’s “Factual” Quirks
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Mark Kirk is astoundingly lax
When he spouts international “facts.”
Be it China or France
Or Iranian rants,
He’s deceptive and wrong to the max.
Tags: Campaign Satire, China, Cuba, Election Humor, France, Illinois, Iran, Mark Kirk, Pirates, Tall Tales
Posted in Campaign Humor, China Humor, Election Satire, Foreign Policy, Mark Kirk, National Security Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 8 Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Okay, so we have two Senatorial candidates who’ve pumped up their military records — Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut. We also have the horrified Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, who’s hatched the upright-sounding Stolen Valor Act. Just one problem: According to Hatch, it would criminalize Blumenthal’s behavior but (surprise, surprise) not Kirk’s.
Hatching Hypocrisy (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
When a pol says he fought for our land
And exaggerates, bolst’ring his brand,
That’s a crime, says Sen Hatch.
But of course there’s a catch:
Only Dems need obey this command.
Update: One of my few Republican Facebook friends, Rob Hood, posted a limerick response in Facebook asserting that I engage in anti-GOP gloating. Here’s my limerick rejoinder:
I’m a Dem, but I’m surely not gloating.
There’s no reason for happy emoting.
Though the GOP’s worse
Than the Dems, here’s our curse:
Most pols do not merit our voting.
Tags: Campaign Satire, Election Humor, Mark Kirk, Military Record, Orrin Hatch, Republican Hypocrisy, Republicans Humor, Richard Blumenthal, Senate Humor, Stolen Valor Act
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Legislation Humor, Mark Kirk, Military Humor, Orrin Hatch, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Senate Satire | 3 Comments »
Monday, May 17th, 2010
Would you like to dump the Department of Education and the Federal Reserve?
Do you believe there’s “collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth”?
Do you think the U.S. should adopt “Austrian Economics,” abrogate the “UN Treaty on Rights of the Child” and the “Law Of The Sea Treaty” and resist “efforts to create a one world government”?
Then do I have a Republican Party Platform for you:
Maine Mishigas (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The Republican Party of Maine
Has apparently gone quite insane.
It has managed to fill
Its new platform with swill.
What an odd way to run a campaign.
But citizens tend to ignore
Party platforms — they’re often a bore.
So Dems, spread the word
Re this platform absurd.
Cuz (if known) it has little allure.
Note: I suppose a crazy party platform should be expected from people who’d behave like this while they’re adopting it:
The Republican State Convention was held at the Portland Exposition Building, which is on Park Avenue, near the middle school. Party members from Knox County caucused in a classroom used by eighth-grade social studies teacher Paul Clifford.
When Clifford returned to school on Monday, he found that a favorite poster about the U.S. labor movement had been taken and replaced with a bumper sticker that read, “Working People Vote Republican.”
Later, Clifford learned that his classroom had been searched. Republicans who had attended the convention called Principal Mike McCarthy to complain about “anti-American” things they saw there, including a closed box containing copies of the U.S. Constitution that were published by the American Civil Liberties Union.
Tags: Campaign Satire, Election Humor, Maine Limerick, Party Platforms, Republican Platform Humor, Tea Party Members, Wingnuts
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, GOP Humor, Maine Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Tea Parties, Wingnuts | 1 Comment »
Monday, April 5th, 2010
Dear Senator McCain: Pretending to be a maverick is bad enough. But pretending that you never pretended to be a maverick? That’s just silly!
Yes, it’s hard to believe, but McCain’s response to J.D. Hayworth’s primary challenge from the right is to say, “I never considered myself a maverick.” Of course, that would be a bit more convincing had McCain not, among other things, released a 2008 presidential campaign ad calling himself the “original maverick.”
That brings me to my latest two-verse limerick:
Ode To John “Pants On Fire” McCain
By Madeleine Begun Kane
There once was a man named McCain,
The Republicans’ “maverick” bane.
He wore the term proudly
And touted it loudly.
But now it’s a primary pain.
So he’s claiming he never did use it,
Though we know that he’d often abuse it.
But he’s feeling the sting
Of the nutty right-wing,
So with lies he’s attempting to lose it.
Tags: Campaign Satire, Election Humor, J.D. Hayworth, John McCain, Maverick Limerick, Primaries Humor, Republican Hypocrisy
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Hypocrisy Humor, John McCain, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Publicity Hounds, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire | 5 Comments »
Friday, March 12th, 2010
The Democrats have suffered some ethics-embarrassments, and Republicans have been playing holier-than-thou with an RNC Charlie Rangel and Eric Massa ad.
Of course, looking morally superior would be a lot easier if Republicans didn’t have such a culture of corruption.
I’m guessing the RNC figured Democrats were too cowardly to fight back. Fortunately, the RNC was wrong.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Holier-Than-Thou Wars
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The GOP’s trying to smack
The Dems on their ethics. How whack!
With their glass house display—
Ensign, Vitter, DeLay—
They throw stones — an ironic attack.
Tags: Aphorisms, Charlie Rangel, David Vitter, DNC Ads, Eric Massa, Ethics, Glass Houses, John Ensign, Political Corruption, Republican Hypocrisy, RNC Ads, Throw Stones, Tom DeLay
Posted in Campaign Humor, Corruption Humor, Crime, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, John Ensign, Political Ads, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, RNC Humor | 2 Comments »
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
A right-winger has to go pretty far to be criticized by both the left and the right. But Liz Cheney and her Keep America Safe organization have managed to do it with their McCarthy-like attacks on U.S. Justice Department lawyers, smearing and demonizing them as terrorist sympathizers for their previous legal work defending Gitmo detainees.
This brings me to my latest two-verse limerick:
Liz Cheney: Chip Off The Old Crock
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Has Cheney gone stark raving mad?
I’m speaking of Liz — not her dad.
Now even some peers
Are attacking her smears
As McCarthy-like. Talk about sad!
When her natural allies cry foul,
She’s applying her lies with a trowel.
If she fails to give in
And fess up to her sin,
She’ll end up with a Dick Cheney scowl.
Related Posts: Liz Cheney’s Song and Ode To The Deceitful Cheneys
Tags: Gitmo, Justice Department, Keep America Safe, Lawyers, Legal Verse, Liz Cheney, McCarthy-like Smears, Richard Cheney, Terrorists
Posted in Campaign Humor, Dick Cheney Satire, Election Satire, Gitmo Humor, GOP Humor, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Liz Cheney, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Terrorism, White House, Wingnuts | 4 Comments »
Monday, January 25th, 2010
In the wake of the Massachusetts election debacle, I keep naively expecting Democrats to wake up and smell the need to stop acting like patsies.
Any minute now (I tell myself) Dems under Obama’s leadership will call a halt to the futile act of making nice with Republicans (and Blue Dogs) and will start pursuing a truly progressive agenda.
But, alas, Democrats seem to have learned exactly the wrong lesson from losing Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat to a Republican.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Obama and co are you nuts?
Or did someone abscond with your guts?
If you act like you’re weak
All your power will leak,
Hurling Dems out of town on their butts.
********
Some related posts from Think Progress, Common Dreams, Susie Madrak, and Steve Benen.
Tags: Blue Dogs, Democratic Leadership, Election Humor, Legislation Satire, Massachusetts, Progressive Agenda
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Congress Humor, Election Satire, Filibuster Humor, GOP Humor, Leadership Humor, Legislation Humor, Martha Coakley, Media Satire, Minority Rights Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Scott Brown, Senate Satire, Washington, White House | Comments Off on Ode To Weak-Kneed Democrats
Monday, January 25th, 2010
There’s nothing funny about the U.S. Supreme Court’s activist ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Overruling long-held precedents, it gives corporations free rein to buy political influence, all in the name of “corporate personhood” and “free speech.”
Nor is there anything funny about the hypocrisy of self-described anti-judicial-activism Republicans who laud this calamitous decision.
And, alas, there’s nothing funny about this limerick:
Democracy’s Demise?
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Justice Roberts and co are unbound,
Driving precedents precious aground.
Yet Republicans cheer,
And the sobs that we hear
Are the sounds of democracy drowned.
********
Lance Mannion managed to extract some humor from this judicial travesty.
Tags: Campaign Finance Reform, Citizens United, Corporate Personhood, Democracy, First Amendment, Free Speech, Justice John Roberts, Legal Verse, U.S. Supreme Court
Posted in Campaign Humor, Constitution Humor, Constitutional Crisis, Democracy Humor, Election Satire, FEC Satire, Free Speech, Hypocrisy Humor, Judiciary Satire, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Supreme Court | 3 Comments »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
On behalf of my fellow New Yorkers, I want to thank Sarah Palin for her generous gift to the State of New York. Palin’s leadership in driving moderates like Dede Scozzafava out of the Republican party handed New York Democrats a Congressional Seat (District 23) that had eluded Dems for well over a century.
Thanks also to Dick Armey for his help in electing Democrat Bill Owens. (I understand Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman has a big, wet kiss for Dick Armey too.)
And now it’s time for a limerick:
Celebrating Sarah
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Sarah, your meddling is great.
I just love what you did to my state.
Your GOP purge
Will make Democrats surge
As you spread anti-moderates hate.
Tags: Bill Owens, Congress Humor, Conservative Party, Dede Scozzafava, Democrats, Dick Armey, Doug Hoffman, New York, Republican Moderates, Republicans Humor, Sarah Palin
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, GOP Humor, House Satire, New York Politics, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Publicity Hounds, Republicans Humor, Sarah Palin, Wingnuts | 2 Comments »
Sunday, October 11th, 2009
Remember when you could tell the difference between right-wing loons and your average Republican politician? Unfortunately, that distinction is rapidly vanishing. And Republican reaction to 1) Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win; and 2) Chicago’s failure to land the Olympics are but two recent examples.
Ode To Party-First Republicans (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
When the Prez wins a prize, wingnuts sneer.
When we lose the Olympics, they cheer.
“Country first,” they once said.
Seems that sentiment’s dead.
If Barack killed bin Laden, they’d jeer.
Tags: Bin Laden, Chicago, Nobel Peace Prize, Obama, Olympics, Patriotism Humor, Republican Hypocrisy
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Election Satire, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, White House, Wingnuts | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Back in July, South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint bragged about Republican plans to “break” Obama. How? By killing health care reform, turning health care into Obama’s “Waterloo.”
So it’s no surprise that the President’s foes are wielding the Big Lie in their non-stop efforts to block reform. Or that their lies target the elderly, scaring them into thinking Democrats intend to mandate elder-euthanasia.
This brings me to my latest limerick, Waterloo Lies:
Waterloo Lies
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The GOP’s spreading big lies
To ensure that our health reform dies:
“The bill will kill gran —
Shorten seniors’ life span.”
Their goal? Cut Barack down to size.
Update: Check out the interesting and informative Health Wonk Review.
Related Posts: An Open Limerick To President Obama; Republicans Were For “Death Panels” Before They Were Against Them; and Tantrum Politics
Tags: Big Lie, Elderly, Euthanasia, Health Care, Insurance Reform, Jim DeMint, Obama, Reform, Republicans Humor, Scare Tactics, South Carolina, Waterloo
Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Health Satire, Insurance Humor, James DeMint, Legislation Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire, South Carolina Humor, White House | 3 Comments »
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
Why does Sarah Palin need to be Alaska’s governor, when she has Facebook?
Translating Sarah
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The media’s mean, so I quit:
(That’s the message that Palin has writ.)
And you don’t need a title
To do something vital.
I’m betting she runs against Mitt.
Tags: Alaska, Facebook, Governor Palin, Governors, Media, Republican Humor
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Facebook Verse, Governors Humor, Media Satire, Mitt Romney Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Sarah Palin | 2 Comments »
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
Help! I can’t keep those Republican governors straight. For instance, why is Sarah Palin giving up her Alaska Governor gig? Some sort of wildlife scandal involving “dead fish” and a “lame duck?”
Flailin’ Palin (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Political blogs are atwitter
With news of Gov. Palin, the quitter.
Is it scandal or plans
To join prez also-rans?
Once aglitter, she’s GOP litter.
Tags: Alaska, Governor Palin, Governors, Lame Duck, Republicans Humor, Scandals
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, GOP Humor, Governors Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Sarah Palin, White House | 7 Comments »
Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
I hate to pile on to the Bobby-Jindal-channeled-Kenneth-the-Page assault. Okay I lied … I just love to pile on.
Jindal’s GOP response last night was a gift to Democrats in terms of both style and content. (I’ll leave it to others like Buzzflash to analyze the substance of Bobby Jindal’s speech.)
Getting back to style, the similarity between Jack McBrayer’s “Kenneth the Page” character on NBC’s “30 Rock” and Jindal’s sing-song, sixth-grader-talking-to-third-graders response to Obama’s speech before Congress last night is downright weird.
And that’s why my latest limerick poses the question that everybody’s surely asking right now: Are “Kenneth the Page” and Bobby Jindal related?
Ode To Bobby “Kenneth the Page” Jindal
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Bobby, is Kenneth your twin?
From your voices, I’d swear you were kin.
You’re the GOP’s best?
Then the GOP’s quest
For the White House is done — you can’t win.
Tags: 30 Rock, Bobby Jindal, Congress Humor, GOP, Governors, Jack McBrayer, Kenneth The Page, Louisiana, NBC, Obama, Republicans Humor, Television
Posted in Campaign Humor, GOP Humor, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | Comments Off on Ode To Bobby “Kenneth the Page” Jindal
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
The Dems cave and give Joe Lieberman a meaningless punishment. What a surprise!
Democrats hand Joe
A tiny slap on the wrist.
Thumbs down to the Dems.
Tags: Campaign Satire, Election Humor, Filibuster, Harry Reid, Homeland Security Chairman, Joe Lieberman, Lieberman Haiku, Senate Democrats, Senate Majority
Posted in Campaign Humor, Democrats Satire, Election Satire, Joe Lieberman, News Haiku & Senryu, Political Haiku & Senryu, Senate Satire | 1 Comment »
Friday, November 7th, 2008
Now that the Democratic Senate majority has grown so much, Harry Reid plans to strip Joe Lieberman of his Homeland Security Committee chairmanship, even if Joe continues to caucus with the Democrats. Sounds great to me! (Update: Lieberman’s chairmanship status will be determined by a secret Democratic Senate caucus vote on November 18th.)
Of course, Lieberman thinks Reid’s being mean and unfair. Cuz apparently Dems are supposed to just look the other way after Lieberman disses Obama and campaigns enthusiastically for McCain, Palin and down-ticket Republicans.
Joe’s even intimating that he may caucus with the Republicans. Well I, for one, say good riddance, and I hope Harry Reid (and his fellow Dems) stick to their guns. Lieberman can’t be trusted to back Dems when it comes to filibusters, so who needs him?
And now it’s time for a limerick:
Ode To “Traitor” Joe Lieberman
By Madeleine Begun Kane
“Traitor” Joe is distressed — I don’t care.
He deserves to be stripped of his chair.
Cuz when push comes to shove
He shows Lieberman-love.
Mitch can take him … and buyer beware!
Tags: Campaign, Caucus, Democrats, Election, Filibuster, Harry Reid, Homeland Security, Lieberman, Limericks, Obama, Satire, Senate Satire, Traitors, Verse
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Filibuster Humor, Joe Lieberman, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire | Comments Off on Ode To “Traitor” Joe Lieberman (Updated)
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
Congratulations to Senators Obama and Biden. An historic election has come to a wonderful conclusion:
Celebratory Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Dear Obama, congrats on your win.
You have done it. You’ve won it. You’re in!
Now your job will be tough.
(Please don’t take any guff.)
Let the national healing begin!
Tags: Biden, Campaign, Celebrations, Election, History, Limericks, McCain, Obama, Verse
Posted in 44 Humor, Barack Obama, Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Joe Biden, John McCain, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Sarah Palin | 4 Comments »
Holier-Than-Thou Wars
Friday, March 12th, 2010The Democrats have suffered some ethics-embarrassments, and Republicans have been playing holier-than-thou with an RNC Charlie Rangel and Eric Massa ad.
Of course, looking morally superior would be a lot easier if Republicans didn’t have such a culture of corruption.
I’m guessing the RNC figured Democrats were too cowardly to fight back. Fortunately, the RNC was wrong.
And that brings me to my latest limerick:
Holier-Than-Thou Wars
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The GOP’s trying to smack
The Dems on their ethics. How whack!
With their glass house display—
Ensign, Vitter, DeLay—
They throw stones — an ironic attack.
Tags: Aphorisms, Charlie Rangel, David Vitter, DNC Ads, Eric Massa, Ethics, Glass Houses, John Ensign, Political Corruption, Republican Hypocrisy, RNC Ads, Throw Stones, Tom DeLay
Posted in Campaign Humor, Corruption Humor, Crime, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, John Ensign, Political Ads, Political Commentary, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, RNC Humor | 2 Comments »