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March 01, 2005
Call Me the Benator, Bitch!
My ostensibly Democratic senator appeared on the Daily Show last night and he was actually kind of funny even though he told stories I'd already heard and danced around Stewart's questioning of why he was such a punk. He talked about Nebraska food (he said Nebraska beef instead of the Runza which was quite refreshing since the Runza is the one Nebraska food you see on the Food Network and hear about Nebraskans in DC or LA having flown in for special gatherings) and the College World Series and football. His lead anecdote, about how he got Bush to change his nickname from "Nelly" to "The Benator" was funny but how that came to be isn't so funny. On second thought, yes, it is.
I heard Ben Nelson talk about this on the Al Franken show almost immediately after it happened. When Bush was in Omaha last month to talk about destroying social security, praising a single mother who worked three jobs as "uniquely American" in the process, the Benator rode with Bush to the airport after the show. Rather than talk about Social Security, Bush wanted to talk about Nelson's nickname.
The nickname is a very important part of Bush's worldview. The internets version of New York Metro has a guide to some of the more prominent ones but they don't list "Butter Queen" which is his nickname for CNN reporter Candi Crowley, which has always been my favorite. Well, except for "Turd Blossom" for Karl Rove. What does that mean? Does Karl have a problem with flatulence?
Whatever.
Posted by Half-Cocked at March 1, 2005 03:54 PM