That's not the setup to a joke - it's what happened Tuesday night when Arlen Specter took the stage at the Helium Comedy Club's open-mike night in Center City.
"I've been in comedy now for 30 years," the former senator explained.
Taking a try at stand-up was a natural step after spending so many years in the "sit-down comedy" of Congress - and, Specter noted, it was considerably less expensive.
While some of his jokes are unprintable in a family newspaper - don't ask about the paraplegic who wanted to date the battered woman - Specter spent much of his three minutes on stage ribbing prominent local and national politicians. And, as befits someone who switched political parties twice in his career, both Republicans and Democrats were up for ribbing.
Specter explained that Gov. Christie was upset that a recent storm demolished his Jersey Shore house because it also destroyed "his entire library - both books. And he wasn't finished coloring one."
After making jokes about both former President Bill Clinton's and current Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's adulterous pasts, Specter quipped: "When I see Bill Clinton, I'm going to tell him that Newt Gingrich got applause and he didn't."
As for Ed Rendell, his East Falls neighbor, Specter told reporters afterward that "he can watch the newscast" to find out what joke Specter made at his expense.
Here's a hint: It had to do with the now-single former governor's amorous pursuits.
Truth be told, many of the jokes were repackaged from previous comedic performances, especially a 2007 appearance at a Washington comedy-club competition, where he was crowned second-funniest celebrity in the nation's capital. (At that gig, former Sen. Trent Lott was the butt of the "both books" joke.)
That did not stop Specter's audience - composed mostly of people young enough to be his grandchildren - from roaring with laughter.
Speaking by telephone before the performance, Specter's wife, former City Councilwoman Joan Specter, said that the appearance was unconnected to a forthcoming memoir by the senator set to be released in March.
"Thank God," as she put it.
Afterward, her husband told reporters that "humor is elevating" and that he wanted to "try it out."
And who knows?
"I might be invited back," Specter said.
I'd tell him to keep his day job, but he lost that one. That's a joke, sir...
Former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman is defending his refusal to compete in the leadoff Iowa Republican precinct caucuses, focusing instead on New Hampshire.
Huntsman tells CBS's "The Early Show" the formula, so far as he is concerned, is quite elementary. Says Huntsman: "They pick corn in Iowa. They pick presidents in New Hampshire."
The former Utah governor has made little effort to win in Iowa, focusing mostly on New Hampshire in the early going. He has remained in the lower tier of candidates as others, including Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum and at one time, Herman Cain soared in the polls. He was ambassador to China for President Barack Obama, but says that shouldn't be used against him as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination.
#1
The President of the US is elected on the Tuesday between the 2nd and 8th of November, every 4 years. The primary process, OTOH, is a perverted travesty that should be done away with - or be held exclusively in strip clubs...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
12/29/2011 13:12 Comments ||
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#2
the process will get rid of smarmy RINO tools like Huntsman. I think that says something
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/29/2011 13:22 Comments ||
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#3
"He was ambassador to China for President Barack Obama, but says that shouldn't be used against him as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination."
Oh, yes, it should.
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/29/2011 14:26 Comments ||
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#4
He's inferring that folks in NH are somehow more deserving to pick our leaders.
After that little nugget, the good folks from Iowa might want to show Mr. Huntsman how close you can really get to the front of a John Deere 6620 Combine while it's moving.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
12/29/2011 14:42 Comments ||
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#5
"He's inferring that folks in NH"
He's implying, M.R.
One of my pet peeves. :-(
/pedant
Posted by: Barbara ||
12/29/2011 15:21 Comments ||
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#6
Candidate Obama gamed the Iowa Demcratic caucuses last time around, including locking people out and making older and weaker participants feel threatened if they made the "wrong" choice. Candidate Hucksbee took the Republican caucasees last time around, but little more.
Unfortunately, Mr. Huntsman is correct, for which Iowa should be thoroughly ashamed -- they have fun, but they are ensuring that they do not matter.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
So an ex-senator walks into a comedy club . . .
