Stark Raving Mad

I joyfully give it. Nancy Pelosi did a right thing in denouncing California Congressman Pete Stark. Here is what Stark said

You don’t have money to fund the war or children. But you’re going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.

Pelosi retorts

While members of Congress are passionate about their views, what Congressman Stark said during the debate was inappropriate and distracted from the seriousness of the subject at hand—providing health care for America’s children,

No word on whether the Speaker’s Stark policy had been cleared with the Capitol architect. And I give her a pass this time on that hackneyed attempt to play the emotional violin.

But this is not the first time Stark has shown his persnickety side, nor will it likely be the last. He certainly is not a newby to the realm of the inane. Not too long ago, he had this to say when the Iraq liberation began

I think unleashing 3,000 smart bombs against the city of Baghdad in the first several days of the war… to me, if those were unleashed against the San Francisco Bay Area, I would call that an act of extreme terrorism.

I guess Mr. Stark would rather us carpet bomb the populace. Or have left Saddam Hussein in power. Or maybe Stalingrad is more his speed. He wasn’t all that clear on the alternative he supported in March, 2003, other than to do nothing.

Now, though, we know he supports the troops. Well, sort of. He has his limits. On his campaign site, we learn he only recognizes 2,300 fatalities in Iraq

With more than 2,300 Americans already killed and more than 40,000 Iraqi lives lost, the United States military presence no longer provides security. At this point, the Iraqis need to be primarily responsible for forming an Iraqi government, ending the civil unrest and building a country that is politically stable and economically viable. Instead of our continued military presence, we should help Iraq by working with members of the international community to provide Iraqis with resources to help them build their economic infrastructure.

You would think Stark would do better than forget approximately 1,000 American soldiers who he claims had “their heads blown off for the president’s amusement.” Not only is he foolishly partisan, he’s a phony. Maybe if we’re lucky we can get Harry Reid to comment on his patriotism.  

UPDATE Minor consolation.