Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
It has been quite amusing watching Republicans in the House of Representative compare themselves to the brave protesters in Iran. It started innocently enough as Rep. Pete Hoekstra left this comment on his Twitter page:
Iranian twitter activity similar to what we did in House last year when Republicans were shut down in the House.
He was roundly mocked for that comparison. Someone even put up a webpage called Pete Hoekstra Is a Meme, which contains lots of analogous comparisons like, "My toilet just overflowed a little. Now I know how the Indonesian tsunami victims felt."
But other Republicans, instead of backing away from such comparisons, have actually made them more explicit. After the House ended debate on an appropriations bill after a long, raucous session, Rep. David Dreier declared, "I wonder if there isn't more freedom on the streets of Tehran right now than we are seeing here."
Then Rep. John Culberson left an even more audacious Tweet:
Oppressed minorities includeHouseRepubs: We are using social media to expose repression such as last night's D clampdown shutting off amends.
Naturally, this kind of talk makes the job of the Daily Show writers a great deal easier:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Irandecision 2009 - The Oppression of House Republicans | ||||
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Politics
Comments
So, does this mean that a few short years ago, the House Republican'ts were the Iranian Secret Police?
Posted by: slpage | June 21, 2009 9:32 AM
"So, does this mean that a few short years ago, the House Republican'ts were the Iranian Secret Police?"
What are you talking about? Clearly the house repubs have always been an oppressed minority and have no responsibility whatsoever for the mess the country is in right now. jeez.
Posted by: GBM | June 21, 2009 10:15 AM
The perpendiculars are veerrrry interesting.
And very stupid.
*end Arte Johnson/German soldier shtick*
When the R's are feeling put upon it really is a Laugh In.
Posted by: Crudely Wrott | June 21, 2009 11:34 AM
They really don't seem to understand that their words live long after they utter them and pop up to mock them when they do shit like this. Not that I mind Repugs making fools of themselves but these folks are supposed to be brighter than all that. Oh, wait Bachmann and King belong in this group too don't they. Never mind.
Posted by: MikeMa | June 21, 2009 11:37 AM
Hoekstra was on Faux this morning blasting Obama for not endorsing Iranian revolution. "The mullahs claim it's an American inspired plot whether or not Obama encourages it, so he might as well," says Pete. But it's not what they say, it's whether the ordinary army and police believe them -- if they are mobilized to join the Revolutionary Guards to crack down on civilians. State media endlessly replaying an inciting Obama is a lot more convincing than replays of self-serving claims of a mullah.
Bush I aggressively encouraged the Shiites to topple Saddam in 1991. How did that massacre work out, Pete?
Posted by: Foggg | June 21, 2009 2:02 PM
The Republicans really haven't figured out this in-ta-nets thing, have they?
Posted by: dogmeatIB | June 21, 2009 4:10 PM
I just opened a bag of Cheetos. Just like George Washington crossing the Delaware.
Posted by: Tyler | June 21, 2009 4:58 PM
Tyler,
That only works if it was dark, wet and cold when you opened the bag...
Posted by: MikeMa | June 21, 2009 7:13 PM
I feel so sorry for those Republicans. I mean, losing a fair election is just as bad as having an election stolen from you by fraud, amirite?
Posted by: catgirl | June 22, 2009 10:44 AM
Tyler - I just read your comment.
I laughed so hard I think I might have peed my pants a little bit, now I know how those that went down in the Titanic felt.
Posted by: Republikan | June 22, 2009 11:04 AM
I just microwaved a cinnamon bun. Now I know how the residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki felt.
Posted by: Spidergrackle | June 26, 2009 10:52 AM