The Mother Load

I try not to get political too often over here, what with this being a humor blog and my being a blogger who likes readers of all stripes.  There are times, however, when I just have to speak, demographics be darned...by an angry God...with, uh, the weather?

So, Michele Bachmann, that darling of the Tea Party and the media alike (for very different reasons), has offered the press yet another Bachmannism in a long list of ridiculous sound bites, and the press?  They are reporting with apparent glee.

See, there's a pretty big storm over on the east coast.  You may have noticed it on the news, the Weather Channel, Facebook...  People are dying, cities are under water, homes and business have been damaged, some beyond repair.  It's a tragedy, is what I'm saying.  It's nothing to joke about, is what I mean.

So, Ms. Bachmann is tired of people in Washington not listening to "the American people."  She means the American people who agree with her, but okay.  So, she made a speech about it, and in it, Bachmann said that the recent earthquake and hurricane were God's way of getting Washington's attention.

Right.  Because God really doesn't like politicians?  Because God is a Republican? Because God has read through the health care legislation and realizes Obama means for all of us to go see doctors and not faith healers? I'm not really sure how God and the weather factor in here, but maybe I'm a little dense about these things.

Now confronted on her statement, Bachmann is backpedaling, saying that, of course, she was being humorous.  Unfortunately, the esteemed congresswoman from Minnesota doesn't understand that in order for something to be humorous, it has to actually be funny.  It's kind of a prerequisite.  I know because this is a humor blog, and it frequently makes me laugh.

Examples of things that are funny:

* Babies reacting to their first taste of lemon.
* Weird Al songs
* Eric D. Snider
* Rhythmically challenged people trying to dance
* My husband (see above)

Things that are not funny:

* Movies starring Rob Schneider
* IRS audits
* Hemmorhoids
* Starving kittens
* Politicians using natural disasters to further their own agendas while pretending to speak for God.

I'm not writing this to just jump on the anti-Bachmann bandwagon. I defended Bachmann in a recent opinion column I wrote for the University of Utah paper, for goodness' sake.  I just wish the woman would give me a reason to defend her rather than fodder for a strongly worded retraction. 

I should write her a letter.

I wonder if she'll listen to me... If her "humor" is any indication, she'll be expecting a tornado or a monsoon if she doesn't.