July 28, 2004 6:01 AM

Another DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener

Subway ad riles DeLay: Legislator says fat Lady Liberty shown in Germany is un-American

DUMB@$$ AWARD wiener #128: Tom DeLay

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.

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This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on July 28, 2004 6:01 AM.

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