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Campaign Briefing

By Lisa Coble-Krings

Dennis Moore is the subject of 'Onion' satire

Posted Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Maybe this is what happens when you go from the minority to the majority.

The Onion, a popular weekly satirical newspaper full of fake stories - think "The Daily Show" in print - has an op-ed piece this week supposedly (but not really) written by U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan.

The fake commentary is entitled: "People Always Hate Politicians Until They Need One."

"Let me tell you: It's not all being wined and dined by lobbyists and joking around with my pals on the floor, you know," the fake Dennis Moore writes.



"It's long hours and hard work. But whenever I go home and do a little fund-raising, all I hear is: 'Shouldn't you be back in Washington earning your six-figure salary?' And you know whose in-box is filled with fawning e-mails the next morning when someone needs to get a last-minute clause attached to an appropriations bill before it gets out of the House Committee On Ways And Means? Mine. The 'sleazy' politician's. That's right, me."

No word on what the real Dennis Moore thinks of his fake counterpart.

Other headlines today:

Sen. Sam Brownback (R)

(Stop the ACLU commentary) Liberty Counsel Pushing For Public Expression Of Religion Act To Pass Current Congress: Sen. Sam Brownback is urging his colleagues to allow a vote on the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA)-a measure that sailed through the House 244-173. Passage of PERA would eliminate the awarding of attorney's fees to groups challenging the constitutionality of displays on public property. Groups like the ACLU have made millions of dollars using the threat of monetary awards to intimidate officials into removing Ten Commandment monuments, Nativity scenes, crosses, or the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. ... Sen. Brownback and others believe there is still time to pass PERA before Congress adjourns.

(AP) Where the potential presidential candidates stand on the Iraq war: The Kansas senator has supported the war and maintained his optimism. "We are coming to a time when we can hand this, much more, over to the Iraqis," he said. "And I think we need to do that, for both the Iraqi public and for the American public."

Rep. Jerry Moran (R)

(Washington Post commentary) Serving the Nation in Sunny South America: Feeling that blast of winter these past few days? Want a quick trip to sunny climes courtesy of the taxpayers? Then hurry, hurry, hurry. There may still be some seats on an excellent codel to South America right after Thanksgiving. There's chatter that even Rio, where highs are expected to be in the 80s, might be one stop. Outgoing House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) is leading a group of about 10 committee members, plus spouses, military aides and assorted staff -- perhaps up to 40 folks in all -- on this fine journey with stops in several countries down there. ... Depending on the type of military jet being used, move quickly if you want to go. An early list showed that Goodlatte; incoming Chairman Collin Peterson (D-Minn.); Republican Reps. Frank Lucas (Okla.) and Jerry Moran (Kan.); and Democratic Reps. Bob Etheridge (N.C.), Tim Holden (Pa.), Rick Larsen (Wash.), Leonard Boswell (Iowa), David Scott (Ga.) and Stephanie Herseth (S.D.) had made tentative bookings, but these things are fluid. There's always someone dropping off or hopping on, so get moving.