ANN DAVIDOW FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

They keep coming back. It may seem at times as if they've moved on, that the war of words has been won, that sanity will prevail and intellect will count for something once again. Not so fast, dreamers. There are still enough hard-headed right-wingers to gum up the legislative works, and they keep up their stream of insulting, stupid comments.

Last weekend Cruz, Santorum and Trump spoke at a conservative event in Ames, Iowa trying to drum up enthusiasm for what could be future presidential runs. Interestingly, whenever Cruz has been questioned about the fact that he wasn't born in this country, supporters are told that doesn't matter because his mother is a U.S. citizen - - my how things change over time. Not long ago the president's citizenship was questioned even though not only were there documents verifying his birthplace, and his mother was a citizen, something that is never mentioned in the meaningless debate that seems to have a life of its own.

And Cruz insists that the single most important task before conservatives is the repeal of 'Obamacare,' although it is a law about which most listeners have little or no understanding. Swept into oblivion are issues that require something more than a knee-jerk response dictated by members of the far-right voting bloc, and its cadre of simpering supporters who laugh at any deprecating reference to President Obama. Some years ago Joseph Welch, representing the army, confronted Joseph McCarthy during the infamous House Un-American activities hearings over McCarthy's attack on decorated military personnel. "Have you no sense of decency? At long last have you no sense of shame," he thundered. Today we are reminded of his angry words by similar assertions from Michele Bachmann and Allen West that there are large numbers of Communists in Congress.

How is it that stupidity continues to flourish in the nation's dialogue? Although we live in a representative democracy and free speech is one of our sacred principles, idiotic drivel has become an accepted form of discourse and millionaires like the Koch Brothers are celebrated as oracles in a society that promotes selfishness and greed. And how does this frame of reference translate into a religious creed that postulates brotherly love, peace and good will? Our houses of Congress have the nerve to begin sessions with a prayer, claiming their devout nature, although heaven knows it is only a matter of minutes before the familiar mean-spirited rhetoric reasserts itself when the praying is finished.

Recently a rodeo clown likeness of the president was hoisted at a public event and no amount of conservative gibberish can draw an equivalence between Bush clown faces of the past (not that they were a proper expression of opinion, either), and the Obama clown face created to entice a bull, something much more sinister given the hateful bashing and racially motivated clobbering and disrespect this president has endured. No apology needed, just chalk it up to the foolish swarms of under-educated, simple-minded clowns who unfortunately are privileged to vote in this country.

People actually laughed at the spectacle. They are probably the same sorts of people who watched the gladiatorial 'games' in ancient Rome and found them amusing.

(Photo: United Press)