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How bad has education gotten in this country that an electorate could produce (a Dr. yet!) and vote into office someone who hasn’t learned how to do even the most trivial of critical thinking?

Rep. John Fleming has deleted his Facebook post linking to an article in The Onion about a fictional Planned Parenthood “Abortionplex.”

In a Facebook status on Friday, the Louisiana Republican alerted his followers to The Onion’s May 18, 2011 article, “Planned Parenthood Opens $8 Billion Abortionplex” and wrote “More on Planned Parenthood, abortion by the wholesale.” Fleming’s spokesman Doug Sachtleben confirmed to POLITICO the post has since been removed from the congressman’s Facebook page and said the office had no further comment.
[…]
The fictional Abortionplex includes more than 2,000 rooms dedicated to the procedure, as well as “coffee shops, bars, dozens of restaurants and retail outlets, a three-story nightclub, and a 10-screen multiplex theater — features intended not only to help clients relax, but to foster a sense of community and make abortion more of a social event.”

The Onion’s editor, Joe Randazzo, said the publication is proud to count Fleming as a reader.

You might also enjoy some comments made by less gullible readers of the Onion article.



  1. Zybch says:

    That is priceless.
    God bless The Onion.

  2. BigBoyBC says:

    Hey, I can”t really fault the guy. The Lame-street Media looks so much like the Onion’s Faux-news these days, it’s getting hard for any thinking person, let alone a Congress-critter to tell the difference…

  3. Thegreygeek says:

    Actually, the problem is deeper than this. Most of the smucks in Congress (no matter what party), use either aids or paid lobbyist idiots to gather material for them or write stuff for them. This is what you get! Same O for most of the stupid bills we get thrown at us as law. Check and find out if Any Senator, Congressman, or for that matter anyone in the White House had read more than 25 pages of the healthcare bill. And it too was written by an outside of the government group of whatever-you-want-to-call-them. So, What are we (the taxpayers) paying for and who are we paying? How many of these people are truly representing the people who elected them to office?

  4. msbpodcast says:

    I weep for how fuckin’ clueless the 1%ers are…

    The sooner we get rid of these ignorant imbeciles, the better off we’ll be.

    But lets not just pick from the same pile of useless 1%ers.

    The error of (y)our ways is that, despite the evidence of hundreds of years of history, you keep on electing self-selected, self-anointed members of the millionaires club, people who have no understanding of what the lives of the citizens of this country are like.

    That fits in with Einstein‘s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

    If we want a representative government, we’ll have to RE-create it. (There were no parties in 1776.)

    If we want smaller government, we’ll have to take out the incentives for its growth too.

    We need to repeal whatever allowed parties to come into existence.

    • Cursor_ says:

      “That fits in with Einstein‘s definition of insanity: “Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.””

      Quote cannot be attributed to Einstein. Nor Benjamin Franklin nor Rita Mae Brown. All of which are said to have uttered it.

      Cursor_

    • Anonymous says:

      FYI: There were several different political parties during the American Revolution. Most notably were the Americans (duh) and the BRITISH!

      …I won’t even get into the Whigs and the Federalists.

  5. Dallas says:

    The food court and the fetus incinerator could have been co-located for efficiency. Just say ‘n

  6. New Deal says:

    The key to turning things around is to vote out ALL the incumbents. We need to clean house (and senate) for the next several voting cycles.

    Yes, there will be some colateral damage but the message needs to be clear and strong. And don’t worry about the ones who get voted out. It’s not like these fat cats are going to starve.

    Although there are lots of issues to deal with, it’s time to first start with a fresh deck.

    • Cursor_ says:

      Who then is voted in????

      The people that we can choose from are put forth by the parties in power. So we only get to choose from more of the same.

      But you are on the right path. Just remove the word vote from the equation.

      Cursor_

    • eightnote says:

      Some else gets it.

    • Grandpa says:

      The last “fresh deck” voted in were the Tea Party. Nice idea, wrong execution.

  7. cynic says:

    You know – we all complain about politicians being clueless…
    But keep in mind – if they are all in office – at least we know where they are, and not doing untold damage in the real world.

  8. Cursor_ says:

    I can’t remember where the cartoon is but a political cartoonist made a drawing of a politician and had him reciting a politician’s preamble before any speech.

    Went something like due to my lack of knowledge of science, history and common sense…

    Maybe someone can find that so we can always post it with every article that comes up with a clueless politician?

    Cursor_

  9. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

    “How bad has education gotten in this country that an electorate could produce (a Dr. yet!) and vote into office someone who hasn’t learned how to do even the most trivial of critical thinking?” ///// Yea, verily……..but…….I find myself easily sucked in to one spoof or another. Harder to do if I flip the “ok, now—think critically” switch. If your world, your intellectual world even, is not occupied by spoofs, why have that switch turned on?

    Maybe one such time should be before proposing or contesting legislation.

    I recall that guy/legistator a year ago who said something like Planned Parenthood spends 95% of its money on abortions when the fact is its only 3$. He was speaking on the floor and when called on it his office issued the statement that his comments were not meant to be factual. No apology.

    Life is easier without the critical thinking switch always being on. makes one more eaily more unpleasant. But maybe the switch really should be fully on when being confronted by opposing facts and arguments? Critical Thinking: its a two way street. Not just critical about the opposition, but as this Thread Shows==critical about your own facts and position.

    You are entitled to your own values, but not your own facts was famously said.

    blah, blah, blah=====its the money.

    Ha, ha.

  10. moss says:

    Some voters are not so clueless. They voted in today’s Republican caucuses in Maine – by not wasting their time.

    The sum at the end of the day was about 7,000 registered Republicans voted.

    Registered Republicans in Maine = 270,000+

    Registered voters in Maine = 960,000+

    Not exactly a ringing endorsement of Kool Aid Party pronouncements, ideology and proposed policies.

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

      Wow!!!!

      What a beautiful thing.

  11. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

    Alfie says:
    2/11/2012 at 5:26 pm

    Critical thinking, how about any thinking:

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=2RmXbaejjvE //// Way to go Dude. Showing the same lack of critical thinking that this thread is all about. Do you, YOU===ALFIE, really think someone is dumb enough to think an island could tip over? If so, how many such people raised you in order for your world view to be so twisted? From Snopes: “”I’ve been around long enough in this district for voters to know that if Hank said Guam is in danger of capsizing, they would know precisely that I have a sense of humor.” ……and even if he is lying to cover up thinking islands capsize===I would still think he was kidding. And so should you.

    Obama demands religious people pay for abortions and contraceptives, /// as they should and do all the time when not engaged in religion. But your critical thinking says otherwise?

    then “walks it back” demanding insurance companies pay for it… /// totally appropriate compromise don’t you think?

    And no one wonders when did the President of the United States concern himself with contraception? /// When passing a comprehensive health bill.

    Insist minorities have access to free abortions? /// Confusing contraception with abortions now Alfie?

    No one questions this genocide against minorities // its not genocide when people freely choose it.

    or stupid white people…/// Why do you turn every issue back to Republicans?

    its now Orwellian health…contraception is about health? // Yes. How is it not? More people die from giving birth than from Abortion. Morning Sickness? More relevant than boner pills.

    Not one of you genius bloggers even notice the twisting of reality, perversion of language, total lack of critical thinking…/// Thats not true Alfie. We talk about you all the time. BTW–you aren’t posting as much as before. That is a kindness==but don’t ever go totally away. A sound rational blog needs balance.

    But we should laugh at the congressman? /// More than laugh.

    • Dallas says:

      Good parsing ! How does contraception equate to abortion?

      The vast majority of cafeteria Catholics (actually, they’re all of the cafeteria variety) support birth control!

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

        It is an amusing position. I’ve seen 98% of catholic women have used contraception at one time or another. What “religious freedom” is being advocated for when each and every sheep makes its own choice for limiting family size? Its not “freedom” at all but rather the tire old male hand of authoritarian control trying to force their dogma on people who don’t want it.

        As I keep saying: the dogmatic religious don’t believe they are free unless everyone else is required to conform to their beliefs.

        Nothing stops the Catholicks from excommunicating everyone who uses birth control. They don’t because it is a money issue for them. Just as their desire to get into other businesses like running hospitals or universities. Some say they lose money doing this charitable work. Think so???? All that access to young minds or minds otherwise diminished so they get their hooks firmly set?

        Religious Freedom: teach whatever nonsense you want.

        Individual Freedom: full panel insurance.

        Silly to think otherwise. Alfie is only an exemplar.

  12. Lou says:

    Glad he’s not my Doctor. How can people vote for guys like him ?

  13. Charles "The Hammer" Martel says:

    Well done Congressman!
    None of the other posts you may have seen on The Onion even seemed questionably true?
    God help us.

  14. Animby says:

    I’m inclined to give the guy a partial pass. These guys have a ton of paper put in front of them every day. He wasn’t surfing The Onion website when he saw this article. There’s a decent chance he doesn’t even know what The Onion is!

    No, what you have here is a busy man with a crammed schedule and an existing abhorrence of abortion – possibly even one of those already concerned at Planned Parenthood’s use of Fed funds for abortions. One morning an aide scrambles into his office with a printout of an article that reinforces his worst fears. In a red rage, he posts it.

    His aide should be fired immediately.

    On the other hand, the article is SO over the top, it probably should have raised an eyebrow. And there is the judgement question of posting news from sites you don’t know and, therefore, can’t trust.

    A partial pass but a major fail.

    • cynic says:

      so that makes it ok…
      His aide stuffed up – so the guy that is supposed to represent yours and my rights in government really doesn’t know what’s going on ?
      That makes it better ?
      We can eliminate the middle-man and get the same results.
      Economic recovery 101

      • Animby says:

        Cynic: Read again. I said “partial pass.”
        I also said he showed poor judgement in posting a link to a site he doesn’t know and that the article was so ridiculously excessive he should have smelled something. Or maybe, in Congress 8 gigadollars is NOT excessive for a clinic. If that be the case, we’re in worse trouble with O’Bamacare than I thought…

        And, for the record, he doesn’t represent me.

  15. Anonymous says:

    Anybody heard any good “dead baby” jokes lately?

    • Zybch says:

      I guess the one about the buckets probably wouldn’t be considered ‘good’.

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

      Lately??? Are they making the rounds again?

      I remember two as I sit here. The funnier one was: Whats the difference between a truck full of dead babies and one full of bowling balls?

      A: You can’t off load the bowling balls with a pitch fork.

      • Animby says:

        At considerable risk to my professional rep:
        Do you know what’s funnier than a dead baby?
        A Down’s Syndrome kid who thinks it’s a doll.

        • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

          Thats a new one for me. My initial thought was that dolls are collectable, but then I see some collect the kiddies as well. Can’t say I’ve ever seen more than one kiddie in a collection though. Seems the thrill wears off very quickly.

      • Pokemon says:

        If you’re careful, you can unload both with a skewer.

  16. There’s nothing like the issue of abortion to bring out the clueless inconsistency of the silly religious folks. Even the outrageously large fictional abortion complex would have to be expanded in order to handle the volume of living, breathing children killed by “God’s people” in the Bible.

    Politics often makes greater fools of the already foolish.

  17. NewfornatSux says:

    Planned Parenthood wouldn’t open such a thing because the government has ordered companies to provide abortions for free.

    • Animby says:

      And that disturbs me.
      When did an elective abortion become health care?
      I’ve got no problem with terminating a pregnancy that may cause the mother serious harm. I’ve done a handful.
      I’m even prepared to accept that some should be done for mental health reasons.
      But the use of abortion as a means of birth control does not settle well with me.
      I suppose that makes me a hypocrite as I do not object to IUDs – but, there you go.

      • Sorry, my comment below was supposed to be a direct reply to yours, Animby. I just typed it into the wrong box.

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist and junior Art Critic says:

        Whats your objection? Especially as you admit to IUD’s? or – especially as you admit to coal mining, military service, commercial fishing, speed limits over 40 miles per hour, cell phones in cars===all kinds of activities take innocent human lives.

        But what of it? Settling and all that?

        Its well said that the moral issue with abortion is not what position you take but what you do with it. Keep it in the moral dimension up to each to choose, or do you want to make a law against it?

        The phrase I actually heard was its not the position taken but “who gets to decide.” Supposed to raise the same question, but I detoured into exposition.

        Hard to get all excited when there are way too many people on the planet already.

        Amusing.

  18. Animby, it would also be disturbing for anyone to start taking what NewformatSux says at face value. Every similar reference I’ve heard specifically refers to the administration of any drug (such as Plan B) which may have the effect of preventing a fertilized egg from implanting into the uterine wall as an “abortion.”

    Of course, we all know that this is long before the Creator of the Universe inserts the soul into the embryo at a much later stage, so even many religious types are undisturbed by such pregnancy preventing drugs.

    • NewfornatSux says:

      Everyone’s focused on the abortion part, but I think the bigger issue is the government declares a company sell a product for free.

  19. Animby says:

    Gary & Bobbo:
    I did not mean to indicate I had any serious moral reservations to the practice but it’s like hunting flies with a shotgun instead of a swatter. I don’t have stats but I’d bet more women die each year from abortions than childbirth.

    As for the embryo? I’m conflicted. I agree that IUDs and the so-called Plan B contraceptives may be abortifacients depending on the definition you choose to accept. To me it’s just a few cells. You lose more cells by brushing your teeth.

    But, after it has implanted and grown beyond the blastocyct stage and gastrulation has taken place, I start to think of the thing as a life. And I am sworn to protect life whenever I can. And please leave religion and souls out of the equation for my “morality”.

    Bobbo: “you admit to coal mining, military service, commercial fishing, speed limits over 40 miles per hour, cell phones in cars” What? I don’t believe I’ve ever addressed any of these issues on DU. Why do you so often malign me? However, even though I seldom drive, I will state here and now unequivocally, I am in favor of speed limits over 40 mph on suitable roadways.

    • DrWally says:

      Actually you are wrong in your stats. I just did some really quick lookup and found (for 2004) the mortality rate for mothers was 13 per 100,000 live births.

      For abortion, female mortality was about 1 per 1 million for abortions on or before 8 wks, 1 in 29,000 for 16-20 wks and finally 1 per 11,000 for 21 wks or more. Even for this last group (1.5% of all abortions), that is only 9 per 100,000.

      You would have to conclude abortion is safer than childbirth, since 94.6% of abortions take place before 16 weeks of pregnancy, with 61.8% before 9 wks.

      Sometimes facts just don’t fit your preconceived notions.

      • Animby - Just Phoning It In says:

        I bow to your research. In my defense, most abortions I see are not done in sterile (or even clean) situations. I should have looked up the numbers prior to making the statement.

        • Dr Spearmint Fur says:

          You spend a lot of time doing abortions in back alleys to supplement. Or did you just open your mouth to change feet?

  20. The Monster's Lawyer says:

    All Hail the Onion!


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