Birthers Wingnuts

Town Hall Season: Birtherism, Food Stamp Fraud, and Crazy Cat Ladies

It’s Town Hall Season and that means more amazing and crazy things are happening at Republican town halls.

Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) attended two separate town halls yesterday and managed to say something incriminating both times.

If you can watch this without cringing so hard your toes curl, I salute you. The fireworks begin almost immediately as a crazy cat lady approaches Mullin to present him with some form of evidence that President Obama is indeed a secret Kenyan. via ThinkProgress

CRAZY CAT LADY: My question is what do you know about Obama’s identification fraud?

MULLIN: Let me just stop you right there. You’re talking about the birth certificate? We lost that argument November 6th. We had four years to get that proven. We didn’t. We reelected him. So that’s a dead issue.

CRAZY CAT LADY: No it isn’t, because I have something here for you and I’m going to bring this [inaudable]… This is 71 page affidavit from Mike Zullo who is a detective of Sheriff Arpaio’s Cold Case Posse.

MULLIN: I’m not defending this guy. But have you ever seen those Christians that are on the street corners that are screaming scripture at at cars as they drive by? I believe they’ve got great intentions. I believe, honestly, they they’re Christian individuals. But let me ask you something, are they doing any good? I believe what you’re saying and I don’t support this president whatsoever.

CRAZY CAT LADY: But he’s not a real president.

MULLIN: But ma’am, we lost November 6th. We had the opportunity to get another president in there. And like it or not…

CRAZY CAT LADY: He’s not gonna be held accountable for a crime that goes to the very root of what he’s doing to this constitution. He was a fraud, he got in [inaudable) ... he's above the law.

MULLIN: We had four years to take care of that. Our country’s facing some serious issues. If the rest of the American people thought that was a big enough issue which, I thought it probably would’ve been. Who would've thought we would ever actually be questioning if we had a natural-born president being president? Who would’ve ever thought that we’d actually be there? [...] So when I say we lost the argument, we lost that argument. Now let’s move on to some other issues. I believe it’s still there, but my God if we didn’t prove it the first four years, what do you think the chances are now?

Did you make it through that? I barely did.

Mullin was clearly horrified and bewildered by this woman, and I understand because I was horrified just watching this video, but as a United States Representative he has to do better than agreeing while being dismissive.

Meanwhile, during another town hall, Mullin recalled an anecdote about witnessing people who are physically fit paying for food with food stamps. Because if you don’t look like a stereotypical poor person, you’re probably committing fraud. Or something.

So I’m in Crystal City and I’m buying my groceries…and I noticed everybody was giving that card. They had these huge baskets, and I realized it was the first of the month. But then I’m looking over, and there’s a couple beside me. This guy was built like a brick house. I mean he had muscles all over him. He was in a little tank top and pair of shorts and really nice Nike shoes. And she was standing there, and she was all in shape and she looked like she had just come from a fitness program. She was in the spandex, and you know, they were both physically fit. And they go up in front of me and they pay with that card. Fraud. Absolute 100% all it is is fraud…it’s all over the place. And there you go, to the fact that we shouldn’t be supporting those who won’t work. They’re spending their money someplace.

Just as I was when Representative Louie Gohmert claimed he saw people buying King Crab legs with food stamps, I am skeptical that Mullin has ever actually witnessed someone paying for food with food stamps, let alone muscle-bound ‘brick houses.’ But even if that were the case, being physically fit (or unfit) does not preclude you from participating in the SNAP program. You either meet the eligibility requires or you don’t. Physical appearance has nothing to do with it.

But let’s be real — physical appearance clearly does have something to do with it as far as Republicans are concerned, especially if you’re a person of color.