Archive for the ‘Politics Satire’ Category
Tuesday, April 8th, 2014
How NOT To Woo Women Voters (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
We women are “whiners,” they bray.
We “lie” that there’s “no equal pay.”
That’s the GOP line,
And it suits me just fine:
On Election Day, gals get their say.
Tags: Clueless Republicans, Equal Pay Humor, Gender Gap Humor, Pay Inequity, Voting Limerick, Wooing Women
Posted in Campaign Humor, Election Satire, Feminism Humor, Gender Politics, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Voting Satire | 2 Comments »
Monday, April 7th, 2014
Weep For The Wealthy (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Though the wealthy will publicly cheer
As campaign regs get knocked on their rear,
Some privately groan:
“No limits?” they moan.
“Buying pols is becoming too dear!”
Note from Mad Kane: Although I concocted that quote, it may be closer to the truth than you think. Here’s The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol, who argued on ABC’s This Week “that not every wealthy donor will embrace the outcome of the McCutcheon case, because they may now be obliged to give more:”
“All the donors I know hate this decision, of course,” he said. “This used to be a very good excuse to say to a candidate, ooh, I’m maxing out, I just can’t help your campaign.”
Tags: ABC, Bill Kristol, Campaign Finance Reform, Citizens United, Corporate Personhood, Democracy, First Amendment, Free Speech, Legal Verse, McCutcheon v. FEC, Newt Gingrich, THIS WEEK, U.S. Supreme Court, Weekly Standard
Posted in Bill Kristol, Campaign Humor, Constitution Humor, Democracy Humor, Election Satire, FEC Satire, Free Speech, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Judiciary Satire, Law Satire, Legislation Humor, Money And Finance Humor, Newt Gingrich Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Supreme Court | 2 Comments »
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014
Free Speech Gets Pricey (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Remember “one person, one vote?”
Now “one dollar, one vote’s” what they wrote;
Yes, the U.S. Supremes
Favor money — in reams,
As the rich grab free speech by the throat.
Thanks to the New Yorker’s John Cassidy, for inspiring this limerick with his acerbic comment about McCutcheon v. FEC:
But Wednesday’s decision, once again a five-to-four ruling, represented another significant step away from the antiquated principle of “one person, one vote” toward the more modern, and utilitarian, notion of “one dollar, one vote.”
Tags: Campaign Finance Reform, Citizens United, Corporate Personhood, Democracy, First Amendment, Free Speech, John Cassidy, Justice John Roberts, Legal Verse, McCutcheon v. FEC, New Yorker, U.S. Supreme Court, Voting Humor, Voting Limerick, War On Voting
Posted in Campaign Humor, Constitution Humor, Democracy Humor, Election Satire, FEC Satire, Free Speech, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Judiciary Satire, Law Satire, Legislation Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Supreme Court, Voting Satire | Comments Off on Free Speech Gets Pricey (Limerick)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014
If you thought the Citizens United ruling undermined democracy, brace yourself: The Roberts court has made things even worse with yet another controversial 5-4 decision in McCutcheon v. FEC. Assaulting campaign finance reform once again, the Supreme Court struck down the aggregate limits on how much an individual can contribute to candidates, parties and political action committees.
As Ari Berman astutely observes:
The Court’s conservative majority believes that the First Amendment gives wealthy donors and powerful corporations the carte blanche right to buy an election but that the Fifteenth Amendment does not give Americans the right to vote free of racial discrimination.
Supreme Priorities
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The Supremes freed the wealthy to buy
Politicians — an endless supply.
Seems “free speech” means “free spending,”
While “voting rights rending”
Isn’t something they care to decry.
Tags: Ari Berman, Campaign Finance Reform, Citizens United, Corporate Personhood, Democracy, First Amendment, Free Speech, Justice John Roberts, Legal Verse, McCutcheon v. FEC, U.S. Supreme Court, Voting Humor, Voting Limerick, War On Voting
Posted in Campaign Humor, Constitution Humor, Democracy Humor, Election Satire, FEC Satire, Free Speech, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Judiciary Satire, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Legislation Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Supreme Court, Voting Satire | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 26th, 2014
Limerick Flashback
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The date to apply by is near.
Health care bennies soon lost, many fear.
So the Prez moves the date,
Which makes no one irate;
It was Bush, and ’06 was the year.
Tags: Bush Administration, George W. Bush, Health Care Exchanges, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Health Reform, Obama Verse, Obamacare, Prescription Drug Humor, Republican Hypocrisy
Posted in Barack Obama, George Bush Satire, GOP Humor, Health Satire, Hypocrisy Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, White House | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 20th, 2014
Obama’s highly qualified Surgeon General nominee, Vivek Murthy, is in limbo. Why? Because Murthy supports an assault weapons ban and believes guns are a health care issue.
Our Unhealthy Nomination Process (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The move against Murthy ain’t stealth
Cuz gun fans are using their wealth.
Seems his Surgeon Gen. quest
Failed the NRA test:
He thinks guns can be bad for your health.
Tags: Assault Weapons, Firearms, Gun Control, Gun Humor, Gun Laws, Health Humor, Law Satire, Legal Verse, NRA, Obama, Second Amendment, Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy
Posted in Barack Obama, Firearms & Guns Humor, GOP Humor, Health Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Public Safety, Republicans Humor | Comments Off on Our Unhealthy Nomination Process (Limerick)
Thursday, March 13th, 2014
Some of the USA’s most ardent defenders of our ever-growing surveillance state (Lindsey Graham, Diane Feinstein, John McCain) are suddenly up in arms about domestic spying. Why? Cuz this time it’s PERSONAL!
For instance:
In response to accusations that the Central Intelligence Agency has snooped on Senate computers, Graham went bonkers, telling reporters on Tuesday that “Heads should roll, people should go to jail if it’s true.”
I Spy Hypocrisy (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Though Senators failed to condemn
Our rampant surveillance, or stem
All the government spying,
They’re suddenly crying,
Cuz the CIA’s spying on the THEM!
Tags: CIA, Diane Feinstein, Domestic Spying, Hypocrisy, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Senate Satire, Surveillance
Posted in CIA Satire, Hypocrisy Humor, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Senate Satire | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 12th, 2014
Bill O’Reilly is outraged, once again, at Barack Obama. What is it this time? The president had the audacity to go where the twenty-somethings are, in order to plug the Affordable Care Act and HealthCare.gov; he gamely appeared on Funny Or Die’s “Between Two Ferns,” for an interview with Zach Galifianakis.
Barack & Zach
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Obama’s appearance with Zach
Has inspired O’Reilly’s attack:
A strong prez would not go
On a comedy show
To plug HealthCare.gov and just yak.
It seems Bill is a psychic. Oh my!
He’s an all-knowing, soothsaying guy,
Who swears Lincoln would never
Have gone on (not ever!!!)
A show done by Funny Or Die.
Tags: Abe Lincoln, Barack Obama, Between Two Ferns, Bill O'Reilly, Funny Or Die, Health Humor, HealthCare.gov, Media Humor, Obama, Zach Galifianakis
Posted in Barack Obama, Bill O'Reilly, Health Satire, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, White House | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, March 11th, 2014
Ode To Wingnuttery
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Obama is a “tyrant,”
wingnuts tell us ev’ry day.
But they also claim his “cowardice”
makes Putin go astray.
Seems Obama’s “too aggressive,
seizing power with his pen,”
when he isn’t just a “weakling.”
You bewildered yet? Amen!
Tags: Abuse of Executive Power, Cowardice, Executive Orders, Obama Verse, Republican Hypocrisy, Tyrants, Vladimir Putin, Wingnut Humor, Wingnuts
Posted in Barack Obama, GOP Humor, Hypocrisy Humor, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Vladimir Putin, White House, Wingnuts | Comments Off on Ode To Wingnuttery
Saturday, February 22nd, 2014
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s been catching some flack lately over his traffic-safety initiative. It seems he doesn’t practice what he preaches.
Trafficking In Hypocrisy (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Bill de Blasio warns New York folk
To drive carefully. Safety’s no joke.
Yet the rules take a hike
In Bill’s auto. Did Mike
Ever guzzle a giant-sized Coke?
Note from Mad Kane: For those who don’t follow New York City politics, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg (whom de Blasio criticizes at every opportunity) is famous/infamous for banning super-sized sodas.
Tags: Automobiles, Bill de Blasio, Cars, Driving Humor, Food Regulations, Giant Soda Ban, Health Humor, Hypocrisy, Mike Bloomberg, New York City, Soda, Soft Drinks, Traffic Safety
Posted in Automobiles Satire, Bill de Blasio Humor, Driving Humor, Health Satire, Hypocrisy Humor, Mike Bloomberg, New York Mayors, New York Politics, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Public Safety | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, February 11th, 2014
UPDATE: The blogger who interviewed Governor Walker and whose Walker quote is the premise of this entire post and limerick, has corrected his story to indicate that the quote was a transcription error and that the Governor did not claim to have voted for Reagan when it was illegal to do so.
Rather than simply “disappearing” this post, I’ll leave it up with this correction notice. My apologies to anyone who was misled by my reliance on the earlier version of that interviewer’s story.
*****
Republicans have a long history of bolstering their credentials by citing some Ronald Reagan connection. So it tends to be no big deal when a Republican pol waxes eloquent about having voted for Reagan.
And then there’s Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R), who recently said:
I remember, I was a teenager, had just become a teenager and voted for Ronald Reagan — limited government, you know, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense. You knew what you were getting. You knew how a Reagan administration, a Reagan presidency was going to be better for you.
Alas, since Walker was born on November 2, 1967, he “wasn’t old enough to vote in either 1980 or 1984 when Reagan ran for president.” So if Scott Walker was being truthful, then he’s just owned up to committing voter fraud.
Scott Walker Walks Into His Own Trap (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Walker tried to increase his appeal
With a “voted for Ron Reagan” spiel.
Do the math; Scott’s denoting
His under-age voting.
Fin’ly, ONE case of vote fraud that’s real.
Tags: Ronald Reagan, Scott Walker, Voter Fraud, Votes, Wisconsin
Posted in Election Satire, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Scott Walker, Voting Satire, Wisconsin | 1 Comment »
Thursday, February 6th, 2014
Did you know that Jesse Ventura hosts a TV show called “Off The Grid?” Me neither.
This probably explains why Ventura promoted it on CNBC’s “Closing Bell” from an “undisclosed location in Mexico,” with statements like: “I’m off the grid. I move about with my TV show so that the drones can’t find me and you won’t know exactly where I am.”
Ventura’s Mexican Adventure (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Drones Ventura, I’ve gone “off the grid,”
In his USA drone-dodging bid,
Making sure no one knows
Where he is. Won’t disclose!
It’s his latest please-watch-his-show bid.
Tags: Drone Humor, Jesse Ventura, Media Humor, Off The Grid, Privacy Humor
Posted in Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Privacy Humor | Comments Off on Ventura’s Mexican Adventure (Limerick)
Monday, February 3rd, 2014
By now, you’ve surely heard about the wingnutty brouhaha over Coke’s multilingual “America The Beautiful” Super Bowl ad. This article title says it all: “Coca-Cola’s ‘It’s Beautiful’ Super Bowl Ad Brings Out Some Ugly Americans.”
Bigots Sling The Blues (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Coke’s “Beautiful” polyglot ad
Has gotten the bigots quite mad.
Seems it’s too damn exotic
And unpatriotic.
I’m guessing they’re also non-GLAD.
Tags: Advertising Humor, America The Beautiful, Anthem Satire, Bigotry Limerick, Coca-Cola, Coke Humor, Marketing Humor, Multicultural Humor, Multilingual Humor, Music, Patriotic Song, Patriotism Humor
Posted in Bilingualism, Business Humor, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Wingnuts | 5 Comments »
Tuesday, January 28th, 2014
Bracing For The SOTU (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Tonight we’ll be glued to our set,
Even though it’s a very safe bet
That, as always, the SOTU
Will drive us to go to
Strong drink. (We’ve no hash cigarette.)
Tags: Congress Humor, Media Humor, President Obama, SOTU, State Of The Union Address, Television, TV
Posted in 44 Humor, Barack Obama, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Television (TV) Satire, White House | Comments Off on Bracing For The SOTU (Limerick)
Monday, January 27th, 2014
SOTU Antics (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Watch the SOTU’s bipartisan fight,
As the Prez walks the aisle Tuesday night.
Pols will lunge for his hand
Or a cheek, so they’ll land
On TV in this annual rite.
*****
And speaking of the State of the Union Address, remember the good old days when there was one yearly State of the Union speech and a single response from the opposition party?
Then, suddenly, the Republicans added a second rebuttal (referred to as the Tea Party response.) This was done in accordance with the “Oh my God! There’s a black president!” rule.
Well this year, two Republican responses have been deemed insufficient. (The “Why hasn’t he been impeached yet?” rule.)
So this Tuesday night we’ll be treated to three Republican rebuttals from Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul, respectively.
What’s the matter? No room for Chris Christie?
Maybe next year, if he hangs on to his gig in New Jersey.
Tags: Bipartisanship, Congress Humor, Media Humor, President Obama, SOTU, State Of The Union Address, Television, TV
Posted in 44 Humor, Barack Obama, Media Satire, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Television (TV) Satire, White House | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 25th, 2014
As the fight over Oklahoma’s ban on same-sex marriage heads to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado, Oklahoma Rep. Mike Turner (R-Edmond) is worried that gay marriage might prevail. And being desperate to combat the scourge of same-sex marriage, Turner has drafted a shell bill to use in case the case doesn’t go his way:
Mike’s Oklahoma “Solution” (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Mike Turner’s prevailed in his hunt
For an anti-same-sex marriage stunt.
If you’re gay or you’re straight
You can’t wed in his state,
Says his bill; Equal rights — Mike’s out front.
Tags: Constitution Verse, Gay Marriage, Law Satire, Legal Humor, Marriage Equality, Marriage Satire, Mike Turner, Oklahoma, Same Sex Marriage
Posted in Constitution Humor, GOP Humor, Homophobia, Law Satire, Legal Limericks, Legislation Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | Comments Off on Mike’s Oklahoma “Solution” (Limerick)
Tuesday, January 14th, 2014
Here we go again! It’s too early to pretend to run for U.S. President. So instead, Donald Trump is fake-running for Governor of New York State.
Trumped Up Campaign (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
This brainchild (I trust) won’t get far:
New York Governor Trump — TV star.
He might run, Donald claims,
But we know his true aim’s
To get press for his show … or be czar.
Tags: Apprentice, Campaign Satire, Donald Trump, Governors, Media Humor, New York, Political Campaigns, Television
Posted in Campaign Humor, Donald Trump, Election Satire, GOP Humor, Media Satire, New York Politics, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Television (TV) Satire | 3 Comments »
Thursday, December 5th, 2013
According to a Politico story, Republicans pols and staffers are being given remedial sensitivity training to avoid further Todd Akin-style gaffes and to contend with the party’s gender gap.
Those Sensitive Republicans
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Republicans, fearful of gaffes,
Are coaching both Congress and staffs
How to talk to a dame.
(Non-offense is their aim.)
How ’bout policy change, just for laughs?
Tags: Feminism, Gender Gap Humor, GOP Humor, Politico, Republican War On Women, Republicans Humor, Todd Akin
Posted in Congress Humor, Feminism Humor, Gender Politics, GOP Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor | 11 Comments »
Friday, November 22nd, 2013
Most Democrats are pleased that Harry Reid finally pulled the trigger on a filibuster rules change. Mitch McConnell? Not so much!
Open Limerick From Mitch McConnell To Harry Reid
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Mitch to Harry: You’ll live to regret
The rule change you made. That’s a threat.
How dare you show fight!
Wreaking havoc’s our right.
Will we keep being evil? You bet!
Tags: Advise And Consent, Filibuster, Filibuster Humor, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Nuclear Option, Obstructionism, Senate Democrats, Senate Humor
Posted in Constitutional Crisis, Democracy Humor, Filibuster Humor, GOP Humor, Harry Reid, Judiciary Satire, Legal Limericks, Mitch McConnell, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, Senate Satire | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 24th, 2013
Exchangeable Views (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The Republican stance is still no:
“Obamacare’s bad and must go.”
So explain why they bitch
That something they’d ditch
Does things they don’t want way too slow.
Tags: GOP Hypocrisy, Health Care, Health Care Exchanges, Health Insurance, Health Insurance Marketplace, HealthCare.gov, Insurance Humor, Obamacare, Obamacare Repeal, Republican Hypocrisy, Republicans Humor
Posted in Barack Obama, GOP Humor, Government Services, Health Satire, Insurance Humor, Political Limericks, Political Verse, Politics Satire, Republicans Humor, White House | 2 Comments »
