Top 10 Most Embarrassing Political Moments

With the Writer's Guild of America still on strike, tomorrow will mark the first time a scripted show will air a walkout-induced rerun. Since the show in question is The Office, it seemed appropos to follow up my Top 10 Political Smackdowns! with a basket full of cringe-inducing videos from the world of news and politics. You can watch these and pretend that President Bush is Steve Carrell, and Nancy Pelosi is Jan, (there's a picture).

The Youtube clips I've compiled here are all kinds of embarassing, from the funny, to the creepy, to the downright shameful. Cover your face and peer through your fingers, or point and laugh, or just hang your head. How ever you choose to enjoy them, or not, here are my picks for Top 10 Embarassing Moments , News & Politics edition.

1. Gonzo Schools Specter on Habeas Corpus: Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales shows off the legal acumen of an Eighth Grader. He was later found idling in his car for several hours at a nearby intersection. When asked, he explained patiently to the policeman that since "Stop" sign has no affirmative provision for "going", He was just obeying the law.

2. Dissenter Andrew Meyer Tased: There were heaps of embarrassments, of every flavor, to go around on this one. First of all, Andrew Meyer was being a wiseass, and not a funny one like me. He was making everyone uncomfortable. The conduct of the police was astonishing, an embarrassment to democracy. Just when the video is at it's most horrifying, however, Kerry rescues the whole thing by hilariously trying to answer Meyer's question as he shrieks in agony.

3. Freedom Fries: It seems like it happened sooo long ago. How dumb did we look for renaming America's favorite grease-n-salt delivery system just because a world leader expressed a legitimate difference of opinion with George W. Bush? You do know that France doesn't get any sort of royalties on that, right?

4. Rumsfeld at the Woodshed: Rummy can't get away from the fact that his pants are on fire.


5. Mitt Romney, Varmint Widowmaker: This is awesome. You can smell the burning rubber as Romney backpedals from his he-man hunting claims. The explanation is way, way too long, and I'm quite certain these were the first 17 times Romney had ever uttered the word, "Varmint." I like Romney's smile, though, it seems to indicate that he knows how silly this is.

6. McCain Shoulda Tried "Petsounds": John McCain crosses "Weird Al" with "Dr. Strangelove." Leeeberals went apoplectic over this, and I can see why, but I can also see why someone would tell us to calm down. They'd be wrong, but I can see it.McCain's comic premise is sound, but he's not running for Jay Leno, he's running for Vice President. My biggest problem was that he didn't commit to the gag. I wanted to hear the high harmonies.

7. Bush Wins Maxwell Smart Award: Missed it by that much!

8. Pelosi Has a Prayer: I can't decide what's more embarrassing, a journalist using such a clumsy "when did you stop beating your wife?" ploy, or how badly Pelosi walks into it.

9. Glenn Beck, Smooth Operator: I really almost can't stand to watch this one. When reached for comment, the word "Creepy" had this to say: "Hey, don't drag me into this!"

10. M.C. Rove: Ok, nobody expected Rove to "bust a move", but he didn't even cause surface abrasions to a move. Plus, he says he likes to tear the heads off of small creatures. LOL? Finally, David Gregory: Why? Why, David? Why?

So, there you have it, my picks for the most cringeworthy news and politics clips. Feel free to post your own in the comments section. Here's hoping the strike is over soon. When "House" has to shut down production, I'll be scouring Youtube for the Top 10 Political Colonoscopies.