Not my dad’s GOP – Stupidest statements this week by GOP presidential contenders

It has been such an astonishingly bad primary pre-season of gaffes, book selling and seeming Nigerian prince e-mail hawking charlatans… that people here in the UK routinely ask if this campaign for the GOP US Presidential nomination is not some  television comedy skit? The field is incredibly weak and there seems but one goal for the Republican Party, PLEASE nominate anyone but front-runner and man most likely to challenge President Barack Obama… Mitt Romney.

My very conservative father left this mortal coil in 2003 disgusted with the Bush Administration. This lot must have him spinning in his grave. One commentator yesterday went so far as to suggest that should Romney look at polls now showing the disgraced Speaker of the House (with a ‘for sale’ sign hanging from his neck) Newt Gingrich’s surge from 3% to front runner, he should consider slitting his wrists.

So far the only two not to lead the GOP field are the one candidate who has the skill and hubris and should be running for President… Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum, of “he who shall not be Googled” fame. Reading news feeds last night I was struck by how many ludicrous statements were being proudly caught by open microphones everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, here are the seven most memorable GOP gaffes of campaign 2012! (This week, so far…)

7. Rick Santorum, former Senator from Pennsylvania defeated by an astonishingly huge margin for re-election in that state said: ‘Our Country Will Fall’ As A Result Of Same-Sex Marriage bit.ly/sWGFWR. Not an ounce of hyperbole uttered there Rick.

6 Texas Govenor Rick Perry, who led for about six weeks, Promises To End Civilian-Controlled Military bit.ly/vpI8Lv, presumably because we have seen how well military control has worked in Egypt, Libya and Syria?

5. Pizza magnate and motivational speaker on a book tour candidate Herman Cain: Suggests the Taliban Are Running Libya bit.ly/ucA5lx. That would be big news to both the transitional authority and UN.

4. The ever sensitive Newt Gingrich to Occupy Wall Street organiser: ‘Go Get a Job Right After You Take a Bath’ bit.ly/syTSnP. Newt do you think they are protesting out of fun? They want jobs for everyone. They want fairness. $1.8 million dollar contracts for being an historian are beyond their reach.

3. Herman Cain is also a Tea Party darling who promises to defend the Constitution. Pity he does not understand its core principle of separation of powers? Cain Would ‘Overturn the Supreme Court If They Overturned DOMA’ bit.ly/vmjNd3. So gay marriage is enough to cause a coup? Cool.

2.  Newt comes back with this jewell: Newt Gingrich: “Child Labor Laws Are Stupid” bit.ly/uZvgEW Bring back those kids in the mines! Send your child to a sweatshop making blue jeans!

And the number one lunatic statement by a GOP leader:

1. Senator Rand Paul (technically not running for president but his dad is…) ‘Millionaires and Billionaires Pay ALL the Taxes’ bit.ly/rI5zt

This post appears courtesy of Denis Campbell’s UK Progressive.