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Two-bit Congressman: Patrick McHenry 5

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share this video of this two-bit Congressman, Patrick McHenry. In this video he mocks the democrats for suggesting that encouraging Americans to ride their bicycles will help get through the current energy crisis.

I have to give some credit to this guy for being the youngest congressman in the United States; he was born in 1975 (Though when I first saw him I thought he was 45 years old). The video was taken in August of 2007, so he would have been 31 at the time. But his credibility disappears pretty quickly after watching this video.

In case you can’t watch the video, here is the transcript:

“A major component of the Democrats’ energy legislation and the Democrats’ answer to our energy crisis is, hold on, wait one minute, wait one minute, it is promoting the use of the bicycle. Oh, I cannot make this stuff up. Yes, the American people have heard this. Their answer to our fuel crisis, the crisis at the pumps, is: Ride a bike. Democrats believe that using taxpayer funds in this bill to the tune of $1 million a year should be devoted to the principle of: “Save energy, ride a bike.” Some might argue that depending on bicycles to solve our energy crisis is naive, perhaps ridiculous. Some might even say Congress should use this energy legislation to create new energy, bring new nuclear power plants on line, use clean coal technology, energy exploration, but no, no. They want to tell the American people, stop driving, ride a bike. This is absolutely amazing. Apparently the Democrats believe that the miracle on two wheels; that we know as a bicycle; will end our dependence on foreign oil. I cannot make this stuff up. It’s absolutely amazing. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you the Democrats. Promoting 19th Century solutions to 21st Century problems. If you don’t like it, ride a bike. If you don’t like the price at the pumps, ride a bike. Stay tuned for the next BIG IDEA from the Democrats improving fuel efficiency by the horse and buggy.”

I guess our friend Patrick has never been to Amsterdam, where there are far more bicycles than cars. Suggesting that bicycles are a “19th century solution to a 21st century problem” only illustrates McHenry’s ignorance to the problems his country faces. In the days of $10/gallon gas prices, I promise you that you’ll see a lot of people riding their bikes.

5 thoughts on “Two-bit Congressman: Patrick McHenry

  1. Anonymous Jul 11,2008 6:11 pm

    I think his point is that the Dems don’t have a plan to take on the energy crisis,so they just say ride a bike.That doesn’t help the people who need fuel,like transport trucks,etc.Sometimes we take a portion of what someone says to reflect our beliefs,but that was never the intent of the statement.

  2. Crankyputz Jul 11,2008 7:04 pm

    I humbly submit that in North America, given the distances, a bike is simply a start and no where the near the answer…

  3. Jim Jul 13,2008 2:18 pm

    I don’t know of any Democrat who thinks that riding bikes is going to solve the energy crisis. But to mock Democrats in the tone that McHenry was using because the Democrats want to encourage people to ride bikes is just ridiculous. Making a country more bike-friendly has a lot more positive benefits outside of the whole energy crisis (Exercise, health, noise pollution, etc). So to laugh it off the way he laughs it off is just sad.

  4. george Jul 14,2008 3:12 am

    i’m with you on this one buddy. america suffers from several lifestyle-choice related maladies, including obesity, massive proliferation of cardio-pulmonary disease, erectile-difficulty, and terrible diet… coupled with the ever-increasing cost of gasoline-powered tranportation. a paradigm shift to self-powered transportation could aid in all of those problems, and if the hundreds of millions of automobile commuters that the daily american 9-to-5er represents could get a decent hybrid bike with some saddlebags, it could do a world of good for americans on so many levels. it’s a shame that instead of being lauded for its simplicity and obviousness, this incredibly low costing initiative (what did he say? $1 million a year??? that’s the cost of one air force hammer, isn’t it?) is trotted out and ridiculed. for shame… for shame!!!
    – g

  5. tigerleo Jul 22,2008 7:55 pm

    George, you stole the words from my mouth in a more articulate way than I could have hoped.

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