Bobby Bright

Blue Dog Bobby Bright Jokes That Pelosi Could 'Get Sick And Die'

Eric Kleefeld | August 26, 2010, 11:48AM

Rep. Bobby Bright (D-AL).

Rep. Bobby Bright (D-AL), a freshman Blue Dog, is trying to give some humorous examples to fend off accusations from his conservative constituents that he's an automatic vote for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker: As Bright seemed to joke, Pelosi could die before it comes to that.

As the Montgomery Advertiser reported, Bright was speaking to the local Chamber of Commerce about his possible vote for Pelosi:

Bright, who is is in his first year in Congress and facing a battle against Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby this fall, joked that Pelosi might lose her own election, decide not to run for the speaker's job or otherwise not be available.

He suggested, jokingly he insisted to his audience, that Pelosi could fall ill and die in coming months. That remark drew laughter from the crowd.

Greg Sargent spoke to the Advertisers's reporter, who gave Greg the original quote from Bright. "Let's wait until that comes up," Bright said, then giving a long list of reasons why Pelosi might not run for Speaker of the House. "Heck, she might even get sick and die."

AL-02

Don't Gather Your Armies! Rick Barber Loses GOP House Primary

Eric Kleefeld | July 13, 2010, 9:58PM

AL-02 GOP primary candidates Martha Roby and Rick Barber

The Rick Barber revolution has come to an end -- at least for tonight.

Barber, the businessman and Tea Party-backed House candidate who attracted the national spotlight after he ran an ad in which he met with America's founding fathers (played by actors) and talked to them about the tyranny of the Obama administration -- followed by George Washington saying "Gather your armies" -- has been defeated in the Republican primary runoff for Alabama's Second District. With 83% of precincts reporting, Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby leads by 61%-39%.

Back in the June 1 first-round primary, Roby fell just short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff, with 49% to Barber's 29%. Barber then gained national prominence through the "gather your armies" ad, and another spot in which Abraham Lincoln declared that modern taxation and government social spending was "slavery." (Never mind that Lincoln was a lifelong champion of the big-government policies of his day, the Whig "internal improvements.")

Roby will now face conservative Democratic Rep. Bobby Bright, who won his first term with 50.2% of the vote in 2008. The district voted 63%-37% for John McCain in 2008, so Roby could have a chance here. As for Rick Barber...who knows what he'll do next.