Hilarious political stunt of the season

Raj Peter Bhakta is running for the House of Representatives as a Republican from Pennsylvania, and -- like any Republican who doesn't want to alienate The Base further than Dubya and the Republican Congress have already alienated it -- he is not exactly trying to run based on Dubya's stellar record as a Leader In Touch With The Masses, especially when it comes to immigration. He decided to go down to see what our southern border security was like with his own eyes -- and was appalled. But anybody can be appalled. What makes Raj blogworthy is the puckish sense of humor with which he decided to express his dismay.

As Raj watched people cross the Rio Grande right under the eyes of the Border Patrol, he found himself thinking, "Good Lord, you could march an elephant across this river accompanied by a marching band and I don't think anybody would notice."

And the more he thought about it, the more he thought it might actually be literally possible, absurdly over-the-top as it seemed. So he scouted around and found a circus that was in the neighborhood; hired three elephants from the circus; hired a mariachi band (this is Brownsville so that wasn't exactly hard) -- and proceeded to parade back and forth across the Rio Grande, on his elephants, without authorization, to the vigorous accompaniment of the band. And eventually, U.S. government agents did show up...what's that you say? Well, no, actually, it wasn't the Border Patrol or the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Agriculture showed up. To make sure the elephants didn't have ticks.

Look, if you'd like to use this episode to say what a farce the Department of Homeland Security is...well, that's why the guy did it in the first place; so feel free. But that's not why I blogged it. I blogged it just because I thought the whole stunt was hilarious. There's even video of the guy with his elephant and with his fully-decked-out mariachi band, all having a high old time.



I don't expect politics, in my lifetime, ever to be civil or sane or conducted in the best interests of the American people. So three cheers for politicians who can at least make it insouciantly entertaining.