How The Mighty Fall
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich spoke to some young Republicans on Thursday morning, musing to the crowd about his latest trip to Disney World with his grandkids. He revealed that he was pulled onstage to participate in a “Lion King showcase.” His job? Swine of the day.
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“They told me, ‘You have to be a warthog,’ ” Gingrich said of his less-than-dignified Disney duties. “I had to pretend to have tusks and make warthog sounds. I got a desperate e-mail from Greta Van Susteren shortly thereafter in which she said, ‘Please tell me there’s video of you being a warthog.’ ” Sorry Greta, nothing on YouTube yet.
Speaking before Gingrich, global-warming skeptic Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., took shot after shot at Hollywood celebrities. He maligned musician Sheryl Crow and her “one square a day” toilet-paper-use policy, and labeled Leonardo DiCaprio a “celebrity hype-spreader.”
“We have maybe three people in Hollywood that are honest about” climate change, said Inhofe, most prominently mentioning comedian-turned-political-commentator Dennis Miller.
But he saved his full ire for former Vice President Al Gore, referring to “big Al’s hype.” Inhofe said that more carbon dioxide emissions were being produced by flatulent cows than your new Hummer H2.
A self-proclaimed “cheeseburger enthusiast” audience member asked the ranking minority member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (who lost his chairman position on the board to California progressive Sen. Barbara Boxer) whether his beloved beef would be next on the liberal hit list.
“Enjoy your hamburger while you’ve got it,” said Inhofe, bristling a bit at the question, but still taking it with humor.
