Your 2011 Republican Party: You could laugh or you could cry

Instead of (better than?) an actual post . . .

In case the dog ate the House GOP's world atlas . . .

by Ken

With today's unusual schedule I'm not going to do a proper post this evening. I've started writing about my attendance last night -- such an unexpectably grown-up thing to do! -- at the annual meeting of New York's Municipal Art Society, for a post tentatively titled "The 'new' Times Square is the key to revitalizing cities all over the country. Or is it?" With luck and favorable winds I'll have that for tomorrow evening. For tonight, maybe I'll slide "Ring Lardner Tonight" up from 9pm to 8pm PT. Assuming I get it done in time!

Meanwhile, thanks to my colleague Mike Stark for catching this gem. Northeast Pennsylvania Times-Tribune staff writer Borys Krawczeniuk reported today on area congressional representatives' stances on American involvement in Libya, including (wait for it!):

Rep. Tom Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., said he supports Mr. Gadhafi's removal but said Mr. Obama should have consulted Congress before acting.

Instead, the president's action raised questions about whether he violated the constitutional provision that gives Congress the power to declare war, or the War Powers Act, Mr. Marino said.

"The bottom line is I wish the president would have told us, talked to Congress about what is the plan. Is there a plan? Is the mission to take Gadhafi out?" Mr. Marino asked. "I think he's fumbling through this."

Mr. Marino, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he hopes to ask questions of administration officials at a committee hearing today. He questioned whether humanitarian reasons are good enough for intervention.

"Where does it stop?" he said. "Do we go into Africa next? I don't want to sound callous or cold, but this could go on indefinitely around the world."

Not to worry, Congressman Tom, I don't think there's any chance we could ever be going into Africa. I mean, really, Africa? What would we be doing in Africa?

By the way, as Mike points out, Congressman Tom is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Well, they've probably got an atlas around the office in case of emergency. Or then again, in the era of the New House Republican Majority, maybe not on the majority side.

UPDATE: It Gets Better

Ken's pal Rep. Marino isn't just on the Foreign Affairs Committee-- he's a member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights. I swear I'm not making this up. -- Howie

UPDATE TO THE ABOVE UPDATE

Oh Lordy, Lordy! No, you couldn't make these people up. -- Ken

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