# Finally, the serious business of Congres: !"French" Fries?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 17, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077 "2003-09-17T02:58:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/21 "2003-09-17T14:39:45Z")
Thanks, **jjimm**. I hear Guinness in its native version is far superior to what comes out of bottles or taps here. By the way, while my general goodwill toward the French has a ways to run, thanks to that cool statue in N.Y. Harbor, Lafayette and so on, one must note yet another stupid food fight going on right now, thanks to protectionists in the EU. French interests, for example, want to make sure that champagne made in the U.S. must be renamed “fizzy grape water” [or somesuch.](http://www.techcentralstation.com/091503B.html) I say the next time the Frenchies refer to “le jazz” they should be flogged, or at least talked to in a stern tone of voice. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/22 "2003-09-17T15:08:37Z")
Leaving? N’est pas un(e) (damn gender languages) problem(e). I mean “no problem” for those of you who didn’t study French in the Reagan years. I know that one was a bitch. You’re welcome. ## I’m going to a restaurant, ain’t nothin’ round here. Perhaps the supermarche (?). If someone said that to me instead of saying supermarket I’d go fucking postal. Wait, no, I could not care less. This shows misjudgment on the part of all the parties concerned. How can something like this be reported without making them all look like buffoons? If the Republicans publicized this letter to make Jackson-Lee look bad and she had no intention of airing this in public, the bulk of the blame should fall on the Republicans. If she planned on bringing this up to score some amorphous political gain, shame on her. **ON BARBECUE** Finally, something serious the legislature should consider. I suggest sending huge portions of ribs, chicken, beef, and beans to the Europeans. There must be some way to bridge this food divide. For the vegans, barbecued corn on the cob… Mmmm. There’s lots more, I’ll make a some special stuff for you Euro vegans, how’s that? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/23 "2003-09-17T15:47:33Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* \*\*Eh, it’s the laughingstock of 95% of this country, too. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by World Eater_ > **Who do I email in NY to voice my disgust at this stupidity?** > Well, without knowing your exact address, I can’t tell you exactly, but it would be your representative. Who is your representative you ask? Well, you should know but if you don’t, [if you know your ZIP+4 you can find out here](http://www.house.gov/). If you don’t know your ZIP+4, then just put in your ZIP and if that doesn’t narrow it down then they will direct you to the USPS site with a ZIP+4 finder. > > Don’t bother sending an e-mail to one of these jokers if they aren’t your rep, they’ll just pass it along to whoever is your rep, or just delete it if they can’t figure it out within 5 minutes. \*\* Thanks. I’m going to go home, get drunk, and write him a vitriol filled email. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/24 "2003-09-17T17:05:56Z")
The best part of the whole thing is that “French” fries did not originate in France. This is some of the most idiotic foolishness I have ever run across. The people who did this are ignorant simpletons who could have saved themselves (and, by proxy, this country) a whole lot of trouble if they just typed in “Origin, French Fries” into google. A little research can go a long way, even if you are a petty bickering politician. What did Belgium ever do to us? > [@](#): > > The French Embassy did not seem amused. Its press officer declined comment, except to say that french fries originated in Belgium. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/25 "2003-09-17T18:04:32Z")
“Freedom Fries” will revert back to “French” Fries. “Fries” however will now be called “suck”. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/26 "2003-09-17T18:27:51Z")
Yea, could I get some “French Suck” please? How bout you super-size that? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Isabelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5a626/32.png) [@Isabelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isabelle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/27 "2003-09-17T18:37:05Z")
If I’m not mistaken, French fries were not developed by the French anyway. So it’s a moot point to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/28 "2003-09-17T18:57:08Z")
Say it ain’t so! Another comforting illusion shattered! Please don’t tell me the origin of “French Toast”, “French Bread”, or the magnificent “French Kiss”, I don’t think I could take it. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/29 "2003-09-17T20:50:39Z")
> [@](#): > > I can tolerate debating the merits of “National Potato Week,” or “A resolution in favor of apple pie.” That’s typical beginning of session BS. This, OTOH, is what we pay them for? I disagree. This is **exactly** the kind of thing these guys should be doing—dicking around with truly insignificant and poiintless bullshit. Occupies their time and prevents them from doing serious damage to important things. Plus, it doesn’t cost me an additional cent in the way of taxes. Now if we could only get the Supreme Court to consider accepting an appeal on the tomato fruit/vegetable controversy. And perhaps Bush could stick to something even more pointless, like golf. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/30 "2003-09-17T20:59:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*I disagree. This is **exactly** the kind of thing these guys should be doing—dicking around with truly insignificant and poiintless bullshit. Occupies their time and prevents them from doing serious damage to important things. Plus, it doesn’t cost me an additional cent in the way of taxes. > > Now if we could only get the Supreme Court to consider accepting an appeal on the tomato fruit/vegetable controversy. And perhaps Bush could stick to something even more pointless, like golf. \*\* [sub]Brilliant. But it won’t work if they know. We can’t be too obvious about praising their courageous stands on fried foods. They’ll figure us out.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/31 "2003-09-17T21:53:09Z")
Well heck, if it was important enough to start in the middle of planning a war, what’s wrong with stopping it now? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/32 "2003-09-17T22:00:50Z")
Next thing you know, the Secret Service will round up all french fries as assasination risks to the Vice President. Seriously, this is what our government thinks demands immediate attention? No wonder the rest of the world looks at us as a joke. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/33 "2003-09-17T22:47:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dalovindj \* > \*\*The best part of the whole thing is that “French” fries did not originate in France. This is some of the most idiotic foolishness I have ever run across. The people who did this are ignorant simpletons who could have saved themselves (and, by proxy, this country) a whole lot of trouble if they just typed in “Origin, French Fries” into google. A little research can go a long way, even if you are a petty bickering politician. What did Belgium ever do to us? \*\* And they still do them better than anyone in the U.S. ever thought of doing them. The Belgian pommes frites are a work of art. Dipped in mayo, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/34 "2003-09-17T22:48:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beagle \* > **Homeland Fries, beat the terrorists burger, and a Coke please.** Bush fiddles while Homeland Fries. Catchy. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/35 "2003-09-18T13:22:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > **I disagree. This is exactly the kind of thing these guys should be doing—dicking around with truly insignificant and poiintless bullshit.** The real business is done in committees and expensive lunches with lobbyists. While the media cover this tubrous travesty, we’re being sold down the river. They LIKE it when this sort of brouhaha get extensive coverage. BTW, I though we’d moved past freedom fries and on to Ben and J-Lo. J-Lo and freedom fries, breakfast of champions. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/36 "2003-09-18T14:11:39Z")
Damn, I thought I was cynical. Not just lunches, also, golf outings, dinners, fishing trips, “study” junkets to places that really don’t need study. Man, just the stuff I have personal knowledge of would make you puke. Let’s say “hypothetically” that you had looked in all the Florida legislators desks on the floors of the House and Senate. What would you find? Free peanuts (from farm lobbyists), free candy (from big sugar), free this, free that. So long as they stay below the dollar limits they can keep the legislature hopped up on junk food the whole day long. Don’t send letters to your congressmen. Send something they can eat. Just kidding (about YOU doing it), they don’t trust you, unless you happen to be a lobbyist. But, the thing is, most legislators are bought by the people you’d expect them to be. So, it’s a fair corrupt system. It’s those shifty politicians with their fingers to the wind – Clintonesque – that really benefit from the system. It starts a bidding war. ---
**Author:** ![soup\_diggity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@soup\_diggity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soup_diggity)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/37 "2003-09-18T18:37:56Z")
Am I the only one who sees the distgusting insensitivity our Congress showed by doing this? What about the thousands of Franco-Americans living in the US? What message does that send to them? ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/38 "2003-09-18T19:45:49Z")
> [@](#): > > What about the thousands of Franco-Americans living in the US? What message does that send to them? That our elected government officials include a rather vocal faction which is both ignorant and childish? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/39 "2003-09-18T20:23:13Z")
Not just “include” — don’t forget “represent.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077/40 "2003-09-18T20:31:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\*And they still do them better than anyone in the U.S. ever thought of doing them. The Belgian pommes frites are a work of art. Dipped in mayo, naturally. \*\* Nothing natural about it. Why not just spray them with Cool Whip and be done with it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finally-the-serious-business-of-congres-french-fries/202077.md?page=3)