Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The GOP is playing politics and poker


ONE OF MY FAVORITE old Broadway musicals is Fiorello!, the lively comedy inspired by the political life of the former New York City mayor. He was an exuberant Republican who openly condemned Prohibition, read the funnies on the radio to children during a newspaper strike and did what he could to challenge the corruption of Tammany Hall.

At one point in the show, the forlorn Republicans assemble to choose a "victim" to run for Congress against the powerful Democratic machine.

Given the GOP's current comedy in trying to determine a nominee, it's worth repeating some of the stanzas from Fiorello! as the gang meets at the card table to sort out a candidate in a segment called "Politics and Poker".
How about Dave Zimmerman?
Davie's too bright
What about Walt Gustafson?
Walt died last night!

How about Frank Monahan?
What about George Gale?
Frank ain't a citizen
and George is in jail.

We could run Al Wollenstein
He's only twenty-three
What about Ed Peterson
You idiot, that's me.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.



1 comment:

David Hess said...

Were the "Little Flower" running today in the confines of the GOP, he would be regarded as a communist.