# Biggest asshole in Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 20, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377 "2009-06-20T05:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/41 "2009-06-22T02:31:02Z")
There is a reason the the Congressional approval rating was much lower than even GW’s By and large, these may be well intending and good natured people went they are sent to DC for the first time, but unfortunately they are quickly taught the ropes by the deeply entrenched veterans and lobbyist. I’m a firm believer that the only long term solution to congressional ineptitude and lack of ethics is strict term limits. Too bad it will never happen because one of the required steps would be they would have to vote in favor of it themselves. never going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/42 "2009-06-22T02:32:47Z")
No mention of Orin Hatch yet? ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/43 "2009-06-22T04:15:20Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > You make the claim, you back it up. Actually, no… this is IMHO. Just like you made the claim that Lieberman was an asshole upthread, I don’t remember any reasoning given by you. I can think a lot of people are assholes. It’s my opinion. I just thought of another one right now! > [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Actually, no, that’s not how it works. Assholes without power are still assholes, Yes, that’s true… but we aren’t talking about the guy that cut you off in traffic, we are talking about Congress. And Republicans have assholes in their ranks as well. But seriously, who cares? Is anyone listening to them? Arlen was an asshole long before he switched parties. And now he may not even win the Democratic Primary in PA. What a shame. > [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > No, but I do think you have no idea what you’re talking about. Sadly I do. You seem to embrace the “each according to his ability, each according to his means” philosophy. Of course, when you finally achieve something and make some money, all of a sudden you become a fiscal conservative. If you ever get there, it might be too late. And if you’ve ever listened to Nancy Pelosi speak (and realize she’s behind only Joe Biden in the food chain for President) you’d realize what an asshole she is. But let’s go with a recent example. When did she learn about the happenings at Gitmo and who told her? She knew. She’s lying. And everyone knows it. Not that I care much, but people in glass houses should leave their red lipstick at home and shut up. > [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > No, but what the hell does that have to do with anything? Well, it doesn’t smack of liberal generosity, does it? Why not just donate for free and forget the tax write-off? No, even the bleeding hearts with cash will figure a way around the system, where to hide their money and make the rest of the country pay for the bailouts, the bank failures, the mortgage crisis, the credit crisis, and now health care. Liberals are real good at spending other people’s money, but I’ve never known one that would chip in an extra $5 for lunch. > [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Ah yes, Biden is far more embarrassing than Quayle or Bush. :rolleyes: In what way is he an asshole, pray tell? Again, my opinion - which extends to Quayle, by the way. But if you need a place to start, go look at Mighty Joe’s first presidential run when he doctored his resume. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/44 "2009-06-22T05:08:43Z")
Moving this lovefest from IMHO to The BBQ Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/45 "2009-06-22T06:11:11Z")
Huh, how did I get to a political cartoon comments thread? I thought I was on the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/46 "2009-06-22T07:05:22Z")
#1 Harry Reid #2 Nancy Pelosi #3 Barney Frank #4 Barbara Boxer #5 Roland Burris ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/47 "2009-06-22T12:15:07Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Huh, how did I get to a political cartoon comments thread? I thought I was on the Dope. Fifty percent of the Dope has been retarded political cartoon potshots since pretty much forever. Where have you been reading? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/48 "2009-06-22T15:28:55Z")
> [@zut](#): > > Fifty percent of the Dope has been retarded political cartoon potshots since pretty much forever. Where have you been reading? You must be mistaken. The right-wingers don’t make up even close to 50% of the membership of this board… ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/49 "2009-06-22T15:37:34Z")
Hoekstra gets my vote this week. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/50 "2009-06-22T15:42:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > You must be mistaken. The right-wingers don’t make up even close to 50% of the membership of this board… They’re prolific. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/51 "2009-06-22T15:46:08Z")
> [@zut](#): > > Fifty percent of the Dope has been retarded political cartoon potshots since pretty much forever. Where have you been reading? Well yeah, but they don’t usually bring out the crazy like this thread has. I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama’s birth certificate is brought up in the next 30 posts. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/52 "2009-06-22T15:46:26Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Hoekstra gets my vote this week. Ah…Pete Jokestra. I wouldn’t call him the biggest asshole, necessarily. The most delusional one, perhaps. And can politicians just stop Twittering, please? I like to maintain the illusion that the people we send to Washington are capable of reading and writing actual English, when they’re not torturing the language trying to pin down legislative jello. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/53 "2009-06-22T15:51:34Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > #1 Harry Reid > #2 Nancy Pelosi > #3 Barney Frank > #4 Barbara Boxer > #5 Roland Burris Well, I didn’t see _that_ coming. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/54 "2009-06-22T15:51:39Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > Well yeah, but they don’t usually bring out the crazy like this thread has. I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama’s birth certificate is brought up in the next 30 posts. I’m so sorry your sausage fest was interrupted. Without further ado, let me get it back on track: The biggest asshole in Congress, clearly, is the Republican that opened his mouth this week. Since I’m not sure who that is, I’ll just watch Olbermann and Maddow tonight, they’ll be glad to tell me. Better? ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/55 "2009-06-22T16:01:00Z")
I’ll vote for Barney Frank. It was a lot of fun for many a congressman to point to GM and make nioses about how they were huge, inefficient, and shouldn’t be bailed out. And then, when they were to be bailed out, only if they had a PLAN that everyone could look at and approve. Oops, but HEY, you can’t close the plants in MY state to become more efficient!!! ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/56 "2009-06-22T16:01:02Z")
Well, it would be nice if some actual reasons were given other than just a list. And no, the party affiliation _isn’t_ enough to justify calling them an asshole. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/57 "2009-06-22T16:05:42Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > In what way are they assholes? The generally accepted definition of asshole is a “stupid, mean, or contemptible person.” As far as I can tell, folks this thread don’t seem to use the term “asshole” to refer to someone’s character. It’s merely a comment on someone who does not agree with them. If a Republican congressman is jovial, friendly, and congenial, but he supports the NRA’s agenda, he is an asshole. If a Democratic senator does extensive work with charities and goes the church every week, but supports a socialist takeover of health care, well, he’s an asshole, too. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/58 "2009-06-22T16:10:09Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I’m so sorry your sausage fest was interrupted. Without further ado, let me get it back on track: > > The biggest asshole in Congress, clearly, is the Republican that opened his mouth this week. Since I’m not sure who that is, I’ll just watch Olbermann and Maddow tonight, they’ll be glad to tell me. > > Better? Do you find a lot of what Maddow says blindly partisan? Olbermann I’ll give you, but RM is pretty even handed. And the biggest asshole in Congress is Imhoff. Period. The man is an angry child given greater power than he understands, leveraged by both stupidity and awe inspiring ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/59 "2009-06-22T16:13:26Z")
This Boxer thing is more complicated than it looks. Yes, she might just have been behaving like a jerk. But it’s also true that in certain circles, “ma’am” is used in a passive-aggressive manner to undermine the authority of a woman in a superior position. It might just have been a culture clash between Boxer and Walsh. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377/60 "2009-06-22T16:15:07Z")
What did Boxer do, exactly? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/biggest-asshole-in-congress/500377.md?page=4)