Yep, that guy.
The news that ex-Rep. Joe Walsh (R-NoLongerADeadbeatDad(?)) is "very seriously considering" mounting a primary challenge to Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk is, short version,
nothing short of amazing, but newer members of our community may be confused as to what makes Joe Walsh (R-NowARightWingRadioHost) so special. Oh, grasshopper. Let me tell you the tales.
As a member of Congress and a shut-down-the-gubbermint tea partier back when shut-down-the-gubbermint tea partying was cool, Joe Walsh was memorable primarily for not a damn lot. He coupled the vigorous crabbiness of a Steve King with the polyglot know-nothingism of a Michele Bachmann, but he was primarily known as Congressman Deadbeat Dad, a fellow whose various strong opinions on the nation's debt and finances were tarnished more than a little when his ex-wife had to file a lawsuit over $100,000 in unpaid child support. Oh, and he didn't show up for that hearing. He also got his driver's license suspended twice due to his inability to follow certain vehicle-related laws, and there was that time he threatened to punch an opponent "in the face, figuratively speaking," for pointing out that whole deadbeat dad thing. If you really want to piss him off, though, be a constituent who finds fault with our Wall Street overlords.
Other noteworthy outrages (and he is fluent in all forms of petty outrage): The media is protecting Barack Obama because he is black. Walsh thinks same-sex couples should not be parents, because the deadbeat dad was pretty sure he knew who should and shouldn't be parents. He had another meltdown when he found out Congress doesn't let members send out explicit religious messages on the taxpayer dime. He claims Democrats want minorities "to be dependent on government." Did I mention he has very strong feelings on Barack Obama?
"I think it’s going to respectfully pick this president up and pat him on the head and say, son, son, son, Mr. President, you were never ready to be president, now go home and work for somebody and find out how the real world works.”
And he
supported Todd Akin and he says abortion bans should not include "health of the mother" exceptions because
that's not a real thing, and his re-election battle against Democrat Tammy Duckworth was punctuated by repeated complaints that the Iraq War vet and Purple Heart recipient wasn't a "
true hero" because she talked about her service "
too much."
When he lost his election, he did the only sensible thing a Republican with a mouth that big could possibly do. He got himself a radio show so he could keep saying those things, and a Twitter account where he could "hope" that certain journalists get beheaded.
That's who Joe Walsh is. And if he says he's running for Senate because the current fringe Republican isn't nearly fringe enough, you can bet whatever small part of his party still dreams of maybe not making fools of themselves in public or shutting down the government over every last sodding thing it could be shut down over shudders and sheds a tiny little post-tea-party tear.