Hank Johnson: Wimp

The out-of-nowhere politician who upset Rep. Cynthia McKinney has promised not to beat up the cop whom she smacked with a cell phone.

"I apologized to him for any embarrassment the incident may have caused him or his family, and he appreciated that," Johnson added. "I told him if he ever asked me to comply, that I would, that he wouldn't have to worry about that."

Johnson, 52, is among more than 50 new members in town this week to learn the ropes of a becoming a member of Congress. He is one of three new black members and the only new practicing Buddhist.

A Buddhist? Jesus Christ.

In all seriousness, the fuss about Nancy Pelosi's intervention in the House majority leader race (most amusingly overplayed here) obscures an interesting fact about the new Democrats - by the end of the year they might have purged two of their most unqualified members. McKinney's gone, and Rep. William Jefferson (of $90,000-in-the-freezer fame) is expected to lose a runoff for his House seat. There are still plenty of corrupt Democrats to promote, but thus far they're doing a better job of purging the caucus than Dennis Hastert used to.

Comments

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 12:32pm | #

Well you wouldn't think a buddhist would be going around smacking people, would you?

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 12:41pm | #

I don't know where to post this. It is surreal. Bo Schembechler just died. Tomorrow is "THE GAME"

Crusader Rabbit | November 17, 2006, 12:43pm | #

The "highly publicized investigation" of William Jefferson?  I think not.

James Kabala | November 17, 2006, 12:47pm | #

Is this the first Buddhist member of Congress? We've had some Asian-Americans, but think most, if not all, of them were Christians.

Evan! | November 17, 2006, 12:48pm | #

[Cue John lambasting David for saying anything positive WRT Democrats...]

ed | November 17, 2006, 12:51pm | #

Wake me up when Congress gets an out-of-the-closet atheist.

David Weigel | November 17, 2006, 12:53pm | #

There's at least one more Buddhist in the freshman class, an Asian-American from Hawaii: Mazie Hirono.

Aresen | November 17, 2006, 1:09pm | #

"A Buddhist? Jesus Christ."

No. Siddhartha.

By Zeus, can't you keep your enlightenment right?

de stijl | November 17, 2006, 1:11pm | #

"Well you wouldn't think a buddhist would be going around smacking people, would you?"

John C. Reilly in Anger Management. Oh, and the Tamil Tigers, too.

joe | November 17, 2006, 1:14pm | #

Did any Republican incumbants those their primaries, or lose to another Republican in a runoff?

Postmodern Sleaze | November 17, 2006, 1:17pm | #

A black... Republican... buddhist.

I think my head just exploded.

Not that I'd expect anything less from the district that elected McKinney.

joe | November 17, 2006, 1:26pm | #

He's not a Republican. He's a Democrat. He beat McKinney in the primary.

Chris S. | November 17, 2006, 1:43pm | #

John C. Reilly in Anger Management. Oh, and the Tamil Tigers, too.

I think most of the Sri Lankan Tamils are muslim and hindu. It's the rest of the island -- the Sinhalese parts -- that are buddhist.

jf | November 17, 2006, 1:54pm | #

J sub D,

Just to acknowledge your comment, as a HUGE OSU fan, I am still greatly saddened by the death of Bo. I wonder how this will play out at the "Hate Michigan" rally tonight, headlined by Columbus band "Dead Schembechlers".

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 2:17pm | #

jf, Thanks for your sympathy. I read some comments in the on-line version of the Columbus Dispatch. They all showed a lot of class. That said, we will still beat the crap out of the Buckeyes tomorrow. GO BLUE!

Steve S. | November 17, 2006, 2:25pm | #

The joke here in Columbus is that now we'll have to kill John Cooper just to even things up tomorrow.
RIP Bo.

Rhywun | November 17, 2006, 2:27pm | #

Wake me up when Congress gets an out-of-the-closet atheist.

Ed wins the thread.

ed | November 17, 2006, 3:08pm | #

I'd like to thank all the little atheists for this award.

jf | November 17, 2006, 3:15pm | #

kill John Cooper

Pretty much any sentence with that phrase in it I can agree with.

Kwix | November 17, 2006, 3:17pm | #

The out-of-nowhere politician who upset Rep. Cynthia McKinney
Umm, if she lost to a tic-tac I might call it an upset, this however was wholly predictible.

ed | November 17, 2006, 3:37pm | #

Umm, if she lost to a tic-tac I might call it an upset...

Only if it was a white tic-tac.

Aresen | November 17, 2006, 4:23pm | #

Hmm. A congress of tic-tacs.

Well, at least the hot air would have fresh breath.

andy | November 17, 2006, 4:50pm | #

I remember seeing a black man once in a Japanese compact car with a Bush sticker on it.

Took me weeks to get over that one.

StoneyBaloney | November 17, 2006, 5:00pm | #

since when did Weigel's blurb say that Hank Johnson did the smacking?

Pro Libertate | November 17, 2006, 5:10pm | #

For the record, I'll vote Zoroastrian if one chooses to run. Ditto anyone who prays to Zeus the Thunderer. Or to Mithras, who is kind of in between the two.

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 5:17pm | #

You're all infidels, heretics and apostates. Odin is the one supreme God. Bow down and tremble.

Pro Libertate | November 17, 2006, 5:40pm | #

Zeus blows that one-eyed loser out of the water. And look at his sexual accomplishments! Truly a manly god.

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 6:19pm | #

But Odin has a way cooler son.

Aresen | November 17, 2006, 6:19pm | #

PL

Fine with Zeus. Let's not mention Ganymede, though. Or that kinky bull thing with Europa.

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 6:21pm | #

Plus, does that incestuous second stringer have a day of the week named after him plus one for his wife and one for his son

Aresen | November 17, 2006, 6:42pm | #

J sub D

Depends on which language you use.

J sub D | November 17, 2006, 6:53pm | #

Depends on which language you use.

Valid point, but we are posting in english today.

Kang | November 17, 2006, 6:53pm | #

Thank you Aresen, you read my mind.

Mad Max | November 17, 2006, 7:10pm | #

"Well you wouldn't think a buddhist would be going around smacking people, would you?"

Uh, yes I would. Haven't you watched Hong Kong cinema? Those Buddhist monks kick ass!

GTF | November 17, 2006, 7:54pm | #

Wake me up when Congress gets an out-of-the-closet atheist.

...Aren't most Buddhists atheists?

ed | November 17, 2006, 8:50pm | #

Aren't most Buddhists atheists?

I can't answer for today's temporary Buddhistamines, but I lump all mysticists together, and mystic-legislators is what matters to this real-world fella.

andy | November 17, 2006, 9:20pm | #

"Aren't most Buddhists atheists?"

Most Buddhists arent' concerned about whether there's a "God" or an afterlife. They figure that one could spend one's entire life trying to figure that out, thus one should concentrate on making our life here as pleasant as possible for all beings.

Pro Libertate | November 17, 2006, 9:50pm | #

Zeus married his sister, birthed his own daughter out of his forehead, and throws lightning bolts. That's just godding with impunity, buster. Days of the week. Wow.

mai_neh | November 18, 2006, 7:12am | #

I don't understand the reflexive annoyance directed at Buddhists in this post. Especially because properly trained and practicing Buddhists are probably the most libertarian religious people on the planet.

JKP | November 18, 2006, 1:49pm | #

Fuss, schmuss -- Pelosi had no more hand in these 'purges' than Hastert did in the 'purge' of Republicans from the Hill a few weeks ago.

And Michigan sucks...but Ohio State swallows.

J sub D | November 18, 2006, 4:12pm | #

And Michigan sucks...but Ohio State swallows.

Sounds like someone is tired of getting beat by both.

Pro Gatorade | November 20, 2006, 10:29am | #

J sub D,

Bring 'em on.

frogman302 | November 21, 2006, 12:33am | #

Bodhidharma, one of the founders of Mahayana Buddhism, created KUNG FU!

So a Buddha created kung fu. That's why I find it ironic that people think Buddhism is pacifist.

Also the whole "I thought Buddhist were supposed to do this is" is a cop-out because many Christians are supposed to do a lot of things they don't do. And you don't hear people saying "You're a jerk, I thought you were a Christian."

frogman302 | November 21, 2006, 12:37am | #

sorry for the outburst just tired of stereotypes folks, ha.

Barry | November 21, 2006, 1:41pm | #

"...but thus far they're doing a better job of purging the caucus than Dennis Hastert used to."

As a Democrat, I have to concede that that is a very low bar to get over. Has the GOP purged *any* corrupt Congressmen?