The Onion may be the world's greatest source of satirical news, but sometimes its hilarity actually yields more fact than fiction.
For President Obama's birthday yesterday, The Onion ran a news brief with the headline "Obama Turns 50 Despite Republican Opposition."
"After months of heated negotiations and failed attempts to achieve any
kind of consensus, President Obama turned 50 years old Thursday, drawing
strong criticism from Republicans in Congress," The Onion says.
Shortly thereafter, good ol' Rep. Allen West managed to make the news parody a reality.
West issued a statement titled "Happy Birthday Mr. President!" -- and here's what it says:
Happy 50th Birthday Mr. President! While surprises are for birthdays, it is no surprise to the American people that your failed economic policies -- from TARP to your health care bill-- have resulted in disaster for our economy. Since taking office, unemployment has remained at or near 9 percent for 28 months, America has added $3.4 trillion in debt in 29 months -- the equivalent of about $4 billion per day -- we have an anemic housing market with record foreclosures, and an average price of nearly $4 for a gallon of gas. Even your budget did not receive one single vote in the United States Senate -- and the icing on the cake -- a stock market slide of nearly 800 points in the last 5 days.
While it may be hard to hear the American people's frustration over the pop of the champagne corks and R&B bands at your $30,000/person birthday party, the citizens of this nation are suffering under your failed leadership. The best present you can give the American people will be for you and your failed economic policies to be defeated in November of 2012.
West pulled some policy punches there, but his overarching tone is that he's upset President Obama could possibly have a birthday while all of this is going on.
As The Onion says, "According to White House officials, Obama attempted to work with Republicans right up until the Aug. 4 deadline, but was ultimately left with no choice except to turn a year older."
Follow The Pulp on Facebook and on Twitter: @ThePulpBPB. Follow Matthew Hendley on Facebook.
