The GOP Presidential Clown Car Lurches On

The Obama campaign must be sitting back and laughing their butts off as the GOP continues to engage in a circular firing squad. With Rick Perry withdrawing from the race today, that leaves the constantly flip flopping Mitt Romney (he's about to give folks whip lash) in contention with Christianist extremist Rick Santorum whose wife had a 6 year affair with an abortionist, Newt "I want an open marriage" Gingrich who now claims to champion marriage, and the racist and sometimes reality untethered Ron Paul. Adding to the fun is are the attacks on Romney and his rapacious form of capitalism at Bain and his stupid remark that the $350,000+ per year he makes in speaking fees "isn't much." Obama need only sit back and let the GOP contenders make the case for Obama's re-election. Seriously, is the GOP slate the gang that couldn't shoot straight or what? Here are some highlights from the Washington Post on the non-stop batshitery:

Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday that he was ending his bid for the GOP presidential nomination and endorsing Newt Gingrich. Perry’s announcement was on the heels of reports that former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum actually won more votes in the Iowa caucus than Mitt Romney.

And despite having Perry’s support, Gingrich faces criticism following claims by his ex-wife Marianne that the candidate asked for an “open marriage” during the time he was advocating family and religious values in speeches around the country.

Adding to the bizarre alternate universe feel to the GOP slate's world view is Rush Limbaugh blathering that Gingrich was the victim in the context of his request to his second wife that she consent to an "open marriage." Limbaugh, who rants against gays and claims to support "traditional marriage" is on his fourth marriage himself. That anyone in the Christian Right listens to anything Limbaugh or Gingrich has to say is dumbfounding. Especially given their opposition to any legal recognition being afforded to long term. monogamous same sex relationships. Think Progress said this:

Newt Gingrich’s ex-wife . . . . reveals that the former Speaker asked her for an open marriage so he continue to see his current wife, Callista. Not surprisingly, some conservatives and Gingrich himself have attacked ABC for airing the “tawdry and inappropriate” interview, but shock jock Rush Limbaugh took things to another level on his show today by outright defending Gingrich on the matter.

Limbaugh went on to read a “great note” from a “good friend of mine,” which posits that Newt and not Marianne — whom Gingirch left shortly after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — is the real “victim” here. Moreover, the fact that Gingrich asked for “permission” to cheat on his wife is “a mark of character, in my book,” Limbaugh continued:

LIMBAUGH: I got a great note from a friend of mine. “So Newt wanted an open marriage. BFD. At least he asked his wife for permission instead of cheating on her. That’s a mark of character, in my book. Newt’s a victim. We all are. Ours is the horniest generation.” [...] That’s from a good friend of mine, “Newt’s slogan ought to, ‘Hell, yes, I wanted it.’” (laughing) I’m sharing with you how some people are reacting to this.

It’s worth noting that Gingrich had been having an affair for several years before he asked “permission” to cheat on his wife. Rush Limbaugh married his fourth wife in 2010.

The Republicans and far right like to accuse the left and liberals of being morally bankrupt. However, the more one sees, the more it appears that the conservative accusers are looking in the mirror and seeing their own reflections. Hypocrisy and dishonesty are the hallmarks of the GOP and the Christianist who support that party.