The career of Pennsylvania Republican turned Democrat turned ex-Senator Arlen Specter has taken another of life’s turns, from politics to stand-up comedy.
Philly.com reports that the man who gambled on Barack Obama’s meteoric rise and lost appeared on the stage of a Philadelphia comedy club’s open-mike night on Tuesday.
The article quotes some of the knee-slappers comedian Specter tried out on his audience, one of which is described as “unprintable in a family newspaper—don't ask about the paraplegic who wanted to date the battered woman.”
Among those that are reproducible are this gem: “Gov. Christie was upset that a recent storm demolished his Jersey Shore house because it also destroyed ‘his entire library—both books. And he wasn't finished coloring one.’"
And this one: "When I see Bill Clinton, I'm going to tell him that Newt Gingrich got applause and he didn't."
Oh, my aching sides. Stop, please!
The article reveals that
many of the jokes were repackaged from previous comedic performances, especially a 2007 appearance at a Washington comedy-club competition, where he was crowned second-funniest celebrity in the nation's capital.
Judging from the antiquated dig at Chris Christie, I would argue that the jokes are repackaged from a Union City, New Jersey, vaudeville house that Specter frequented in 1927 when he was a mere 40.
Here, meanwhile, is a joke that the ex-senator might add to his repertoire. Did you hear the one about Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson’s announced plan to retire, increasing the chances that the Democrats will lose control of the Senate in 2012? Oh, wait—that’s not a joke. At least not for the Dems.
Related Articles
- Barack Obama: “funniest person alive”
- Obama’s latest gaffe: We’re the country that built the Intercontinental Railroad
- Where’s Weirdo: Obama’s very special photo op
- Remember when Obama was too cool to joke about?
- The real joke behind the White House’s unintended “laugh” line
- Obama signs Westminster Abbey guestbook, dates it "2008"
- Poll: 5% of voters think Obama will be one of the country's greatest presidents
- Corpse-Man in Chief
- What Specter's loss means for Democrats
Subscribe at the top of the page to have my articles sent directly to your e-mail inbox. Follow me on Twitter or join me at Facebook. You can reach me at howard.portnoy@gmail.com or by posting a comment below.
Comments