Political Leaders Say The Silliest Things

One of my favorites came from then Florida demonic-rat Governor Walkin' Lawton Chiles: "There is just too much intolerance in the world today, and I'm not going to tolerate it anymore". One Wisconsin lawmaker vowed that Wisconsin will never be home to a nuclear waste "suppository;" another one stated that teen pregnancy drops off by age 25. Comments like that, some say, ensure that some elected officials will never be mistaken for rocket scientists.

"We're supposed to say what we mean and mean what we say," says Republican state Sen. Carol Roessler of Oshkosh. "We don't always say what we mean."

That's for sure. Roessler, who has been in the Wisconsin Legislature since 1982, has heard a lot of these verbal assaults, she says.

In fact, linguistic gymnastics frequently have been the topic of many of her public speaking engagements over the years. The response, she says, is a howling audience.

"It's fun. It's frivolity. And it's human. That's why I did it," she says of her decision to compile examples of political misspeak into her book entitled, "Politicians Say The Dumbest Things."

Three years in the making, the paperback has sold about 6,500 copies and is now in its second printing. The coffee table book has been such a hit in elected circles in Wisconsin and beyond that Roessler is getting lots of help from others for a second edition.

At the June 1-2 Republican state convention, she manned a popular booth promoting her book. She was seen listening to most of the floor speeches, but she didn't say if she was gathering some new material herself -- although the answer seems obvious.

Roessler has included quotes from former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and other well-knowns including Dan Quayle, but arguably her best material is from politicians at the state, county and local village level.

"Out of respect to my colleagues, they are not named," she says of her decision to leave the names out of her book. "And out of kindness to the people who I need to face," she added.

Here are some of the wonders that have dribbled out of the mouths of some of those faces who remain nameless -- at least in Volume 1:

"I promise a police car on every sidewalk." "I hate to confuse myself with the facts." "Take it from someone who knows, I have survived a terminal heart attack."

We'll have to wait and see about Volume 2.

Roessler says a lot of people have a strong fear of public speaking, and her book proves that those in the public limelight don't let fear stop them. The response is a lighter side to the sometimes serious look of democracy. "And people love to laugh," she says, laughing, of course.

I had a Captian and we all just loved being around him as he would tell his stories. My wife and I are vacationing in PesiCola Florida this year. I had to put a new Catholic Converter on my pick/up. We need to follow this Floormat and look over it, before we start this project.