Subway ad riles DeLay: Legislator says fat Lady Liberty shown in Germany is un-American
As if there aren't enough things in this country for my Congressman to whip himself into paroxysms of righteous indignation over, now he's attempting to enforce political correctness in Germany.
WASHINGTON - Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to eat fat-free.
A super-sized Statue of Liberty, holding aloft an order of french fries, is adorning food tray liners in Subway restaurants across Germany. And House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, is angry enough about it to lose his lunch.
"This is every bad stereotype about corporate America come true," DeLay said in a news release.
The ad in German, whose headline translates as "Why are Americans so fat?" is a promotional tie-in to the movie Super Size Me, director Morgan Spurlock's take on life in the fast-food lane.
In his award-winning documentary, the American filmmaker eats nothing but McDonald's Quarter Pounders, Egg McMuffins and the like for 30 days, gaining 25 pounds and reportedly risking his health....
Subway officials point out that the prime images on the tray liners — the goateed, fry-stuffing madman and the Rubenesque Lady Liberty — were both borrowed directly from the movie promotions running in Germany....
But the ads didn't make sense to DeLay, even if they were just catching bread crumbs and horseradish at 100 restaurants in Germany.
"I guess for some companies, corporate patriotism is as flexible as Jared's waistline," DeLay said.
DeLay objected to the ad's parody of the Statue of Liberty, "one of the most recognizable American symbols."
And he complained aboutthe flier including a quote from filmmaker and "pathological partisan" Michael Moore, whose anti-Bush diatribe Fahrenheit 9/11 has become the Democrats' choice for best picture....
DeLay said, "For Subway to thumb its nose at its American customers and promote Michael Moore's blame-America-first conspiracy in a foreign country is very concerning."
DeLay was unavailable for comment Tuesday. But spokesman Jonathan Grella said, "When folks criticize America, especially at this sensitive time, we're obviously going to stand up and defend our country."
No, what is very concerning is that DeLay is concerned about something that has no bearing over what is happening in THIS country. As far as "defending" our countries goes, what is the threat here? Sometimes free speech is objectionable speech- but of course if DeLay recognized this, he wouldn't be our latest DUMB@$$, would he?
To characterize free speech, even in another country, as a "threat" to our own country is beyond ignorant. This may not rise to the usual level of DeLay's demagoguery, but it does indicate that DeLay is more interested in scoring cheap political points that in actually doing the job he was elected to do.
Generally speaking, most of our DUMB@$$ AWARD wieners are rather benign sorts. Their stupidity rarely rises above the level of hilarious ignorance. Tom DeLay, however, takes ignorance and stupidity to dangerous new depths. Powerful and stupid can truly be a frightening combination.
Be afraid...be very afraid.
We all know Tom is an idiot on a lot of things. Why is this news?
One more reason I wish they hadn't stopped Ron Paul's district at Kemah.
Sorry, Greg, but Ron Paul is also an idiot- albeit a fairly marginalized one. And, no, Tom DeLay is not just an idiot on some things. The man is a full-service idiot- and a demagogue to boot.
Europeans thumbing their noses at America is the price we pay for having a demagogue in the White House. The fact that his lackeys are sensitive to it, and try to quash it is INDEED a reason to be very afraid.
Marginalized? Yeah, but probably the one who tries to be most faithful to the Constitution.
If that makes one an idiot, I'll gladly plead guilty as well.
And mark -- if you prefer the European view, please be aware that there are planes leaving for there daily and that most countries there will look favorably upon your citizeenship application if you bring marketable skills. Personally, I'm less concerned with the views of Europeans on American policies than I am with the views of Americans.
Well, Greg, one of my more marketable skills is spelling, which you apparently don't enjoy such a comprehensive command of, but thanks for your daily diatribe nonetheless.
Spelling flames --- ooooooooo! The last refuge of the loser with nothing substantive to say.
"This is every bad stereotype about corporate America come true", says DeLay. The man really has no shame....he has made a career out of stereotyping everything with which he disagrees or does not understand (and that is a very, very long list.) I say we let him speak...whenever he goes off the deep end on something as silly as this, he reveals himself as the complete idiot he is. I, too, am sorry I will not be able to vote against him. Morrison for Congress!