The On-Crack Ass Clown for October, 2025

The month of October offers not the usual two, but three Fridays on which we can heap scorn on those who represent the highest standards of ass clownery ... and there is certainly no shortage of those.

As the needless and petulant shutdown of Congress approaches its first full month, I think it's only appropriate for us to consider the current and former members of that body who have done the most to contribute to the degradation of the branch of government closest to the needs and voices of average Americans.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, I present the tinfoil and toilet paper crown designating 

The On-Crack Ass Clown for October, 2025

to

Newt Gingrich,

Kevin McCarthy,

Mike Johnson

and

Mitch McConnell

Three of the four co-winners (Messrs Gingrich, McCarthy, and Johnson) have served as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Mr McConnell was the Senate Majority Leader, and each in his own way made major contributions to the debasement both of Congress as a whole and of their once-honorable positions.

A number of scholars have credited Newt Gingrich with playing a key role in undermining democratic norms and hastening political polarization and partisan prejudice in the United States. In particular, his direction to Republicans to use negative terms such as "radical," "sick," and "traitors" to describe Democrats foreshadowed the crass and vituperative language of today's supporters of Der Furor. In 1997, he became the first Speaker of the House to be disciplined for ethics violations. He resigned from the House on January 3, 1999, the same day his term as speaker ended, and he remains a vocal supporter of Der Furor and his baseless claims of fraud in the 2022 presidential election.

Kevin McCarthy's term as Speaker of the House began with a marathon series of 15 ballots before his election, and the various incompatible deals and promises he made to individual House members and factions to gain their votes led to a ... less-than-productive ... term. He was voted out of the Speaker's position after nine turbulent months - the third-shortest tenure for a Speaker in American history, and the first speaker to ever be removed from his position during a legislative session.

Mr McCarthy was succeeded by Mike Johnson of Louisiana, a small and petty man whose slavish dedication to Der Furor has led to a needless government shutdown and inflicted untold damage on the economy and reputation not only of Congress, but of the nation. Rather than negotiate in good faith with his Democratic opponents, he has kept the House out of session to prevent any legislative activity, insisting that it is the responsibility of Democrats to accept a spending agreement they had no input in drafting and which will - among other things - cause untold hardship for millions of Americans going forward. He has also resorted to various flimsy excuses for not swearing in new Arizona Representative Adelita Grijalva, almost certainly because she would cast the deciding vote in a House move to release the investigative files on disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein ... files that many prominent citizens are anxious to keep buried.

Turning to the Senate, former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell - arguably more than any other majority leader in history - destroyed the Senate's reputation as "the world's greatest deliberative body." His hypocritical wielding of power gave Der Furor a decisive majority on the Supreme Court which has elevated the presidency to a near-dictatorship, stripped Congress of its authorities and prerogatives, and  eaten away at the freedoms Americans once enjoyed. In February of this year, after increasing concerns about his health and ability to continue serving, Mr McConnell announced he would not run for an eighth Senate term in 2026 and would retire from politics. He's already done enough damage.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Readers, the On-Crack Ass Clown Award for October, 2025, is presented jointly to Newt Gingrich, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, and Mitch McConnell for their hard work and dedication in reducing - if not destroying - the authority and influence of Congress and empowering an imperial presidency.

Have a good day and be sure to remember the actions of todays winners and their ilk when you go to the polls. America is yours to save.

More thoughts tomorrow, when Cartoon Saturday tries to help you get over the news. See you then.

Bilbo