Apparently there's no audio or video of North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue's Tuesday humdinger, namely that "I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover." -- yet.
If none surfaces, that will be too bad, because the guess here is that the wiggle room desperate apparatchiks to North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue and writer "jbfrank" at the Raleigh News & Observer are attempting to create -- namely, that she was only joking -- would vanish without a trace if we saw or heard how she delivered the following:
"You have to have more ability from Congress, I think, to work together and to get over the partisan bickering and focus on fixing things. I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that. The one good thing about Raleigh is that for so many years we worked across party lines. It's a little bit more contentious now but it's not impossible to try to do what's right in this state. You want people who don't worry about the next election."
Someone should ask Ms. Perdue to demonstrate the "funny" vocal inflections and other "joking" mannerisms she used to deliver yuks to her Rotary Club audience. If there's a way to make such a statement funny, I want to hear it. I say it doesn't exist.
Meanwhile, the Raleigh News & Observer -- or is it Stenographer? -- thinks all of this is just a hoot and a half:
Perdue jokes about suspending Congressional elections for two years
UPDATED: File this in the random-things-politicians-say file.
Speaking to a Cary Rotary Club today, N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue suggested suspending Congressional elections for two years so that Congress can focus on economic recovery and not the next election.
"I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that," Perdue said. "You want people who don't worry about the next election."
The comment -- which came during a discussion of the economy -- perked more than a few ears. It's unclear whether Perdue, a Democrat, is serious -- but her tone was level and she asked others to support her on the idea.
Later Tuesday afternoon, Perdue's office clarified the remarks: "Come on," said spokeswoman Chris Mackey in a statement. "Gov. Perdue was obviously using hyperbole to highlight what we can all agree is a serious problem: Washington politicians who focus on their own election instead of what’s best for the people they serve."
The Republicans sure are taking it seriously as they look to score political points. ...
Look, RN&O, you don't have to be a Republican, or independent, or moderate, or even an eeeeeeevil Tea Party sympathizer to take such a statement seriously. Why, even some (but sadly not all) liberals will have a problem with this.
The headline at local ABC affiliate WTVD in Raleigh: "Perdue comment raises eyebrows." Zheesh.
There isn't a snowball's chance in Hades that media types would be desperately backing and filling for a Republican making a similar comment.
If North Carolina Democrats have a lick of sense remaining, they'll strongly disown Ms. Perdue's obviously serious -- in more ways than one -- statement.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
