Louie Gohmert is an idiot

By Michael J.W. Stickings

For many, many things.

And certainly, absolutely for suggesting that it's not a coincidence that the debt ceiling deadline (Aug. 2) coincides with President Obama's birthday (Aug. 4) -- or rather with a birthday party scheduled for the day in between:

And I can't help but be a little bit cynical here. Because we find out the president has a big birthday bash scheduled for August the 3rd, celebrities flying in from all over. And lo and behold, August 2nd is the deadline for getting something done so he can have this massive, the biggest fundraising dinner in history for a birthday celebration... Isn't that amazing? The timing of this?

Actually, he can't help but be incredibly stupid. The deadline has nothing to do with Obama at all. It was determined by the Treasury Department and has been recognized by, well, pretty much everyone, including Republican wunderkind Paul Ryan.

Besides, it won't be much of a happy birthday for the president if the country goes into default -- if, that is, the possibility of economic catastrophe is upon us.

(For more, see Steve Benen. It's not just Gohmert pushing this abject nonsense, it's the Heritage Foundation: "The intellectual bankruptcy of conservatives appears to be getting worse." As if that were even possible.)