Congressman Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) has claimed that "Tea Partiers" have enacted a "plan to dismantle the American government" and in the process, the country has lost its "moral compass."
"These ‘Tea Partiers,’ as willing conspirators with their so-called leadership have enacted on a plan to dismantle the American government and in the process, we have lost our moral compass," said Johnson when speaking with the Congressional Out of Poverty Caucus last week.
Yesterday, Newsweek's The Gaggle blog shared with its readers video of Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., in a congressional hearing expressing his concern that expanding the U.S. military presence on Guam might cause the island to tip over:
My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize.
Yet in the caption beneath the video embed, Newsweek failed to mention the party affiliation of the congressman:
[UPDATE: Chris Matthews Covered the story. See below.] Imagine if Sarah Palin had worried aloud that an increase of American military personnel in Guam could lead to the territory "tipping over." Democratic Congressman Hank Johnson did just that and MSNBC has, so far, ignored the gaffe.
While speaking to Admiral Robert Willard on March 25, the Representative asked several questions about the width and size of the island. He then fretted, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize."
Though the remark is from a congressional hearing last week, it only exploded onto the internet on April 1. On MSNBC, Thursday, News Live Host David Shuster ignored the embarrassing gaffe (as of the 11am hour). This is the same journalist who, on March 29, scoffed at Sarah Palin's intelligence and asked a guest if he was "kidding" for calling the former governor smart.
Possible talking point: our brilliant congressional representatives. The money quote comes around the 1:15 mark.