Rep. John Shadegg’s ventriloquist act goes viral

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Rhonda Bodfield at the Arizona Daily Star writes Political Notebook: Rep. Shadegg's health care speech goes viral:

U.S. Congressman John Shadegg was mocked by funnyman Jon Stewart and chastised by Bill O’Reilly for his floor speech against the health care reform bill when it came up for a vote last Saturday.

In a “What was he thinking?” moment that has been forever memorialized on YouTube, Shadegg held his chief of staff’s baby, Maddie Thompson, in his arms as he introduced her, “This is Maddie. Maddie believes in freedom. Maddie likes America because we have freedom here and Maddie believes in patient choice health care.”

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“She asked to come here today to say she doesn’t want the government to take over health care because she wants to be able to keep her plan. You see, Maddie knows that if this bill passes it says that her mom’s health care goes away and won’t be around in five years.”

Here is The Daily Show segment "The Men Who Stare at Votes" – Jon Stewart goes after Shadegg's "fresh perspective" at 04:22 into the video. "Maddie also believes that if you shake your keys in front of her and then put them behind your back, the keys cease to exist. I'm not saying we shouldn't listen to her. I'm just saying she doesn't yet have object permanence."

Stewart noted that moments later Rep. Pete Stark tried to up the ante by raising him two "tweens" and the presiding Speaker of the House had to admonish members of the House "not to use guests of the House as props" (adding "you f#?king idiots.")

Here is a clip that Rhonda missed from The Rachel Maddow Show Friday evening. In this "TMI" segment, Kent Jones does "getting to know Rep. John Shadegg." It ain't pretty (as we've told you here).