In Wyoming, "we've never been so stupid as we've been now"

What's that Forrest Gump quote?

Like my momma said, "Stupid is as stupid does."

That may not be the exact quote but you get the gist. A bit ironic coming from Forrest as everyone thought he was stupid but he had more success than many of those bright boys who made fun of him.

Seems as if Wyoming has been behaving rather stupidly of late. Here's a great quote from historian Phil Roberts from a recent Wyofile column by Kerry Drake that appeared in this morning's Wyoming Tribune-Eagle under the headline "Wyoming GOP's hatred for Obama costing us millions:"

"Other than those times, we've never been so stupid as we've been now."

"Those times" Roberts was referring to were at the beginning of the New Deal, when Democratic Governor Leslie Miller threatened to turn down any money associated with FDR's New Deal, and in the 1950s, when Wyoming threatened to reject the 95 percent federal subsidy to build the interstate system. Why turn down this transportation largess? Legislators balked at painting white stripes on the highway instead of the traditional yellow stripes.

"Cooler and saner heads prevailed, however, and we now have interstates through Wyoming."

Imagine travelling through the state without I-80, I-25 and I-90. Imagine all the lost revenue now generated by truck stops, restaurants and various tourist traps. Imagine how long it would take for your average resident of Wheaterville to get to the Super Wal-Mart in Cheyenne.

At the root of all of this current stupidity is the Republicans rabid hatred of President Barack Hussein Obama. Just his name is enough to make a Tea Party Patriot wobble like a bobble-head. 

Reliably progressive Alternet puts it this way:

How's Obamacare turning out? Great if you live in a blue state but screw you if you have a Republican governor.

Wyoming has a Republican governor. Moderates elected him because he seemed to be one of the cooler heads, especially when compared to some of the loonies that were with him on the Republican primary ballot.

Marguerite Herman posted earlier this week about the Wyoming Legislature's tendency to send messages with their bills instead of actually passing bills that matter. (Marguerite -- post more often on Wyoming Posts, will ya!). She begins with a classic quote from an earlier legislator who said that if you want to send a message use a letter -- and here's an envelope and a stamp. These days, messages can be sent easier and cheaper via e-mail or texts.

A few years ago, the legislature wanted to send a message about Wyoming independence. We should have our own militia -- and a navy, too, with our own aircraft carrier. That bill didn't pass, although it did lead to a fair amount of international embarrassment. Lately the Republicans in the legislature have passed bills designed to embarrass the president and his allies. Alas, they just end up with egg on their own faces.

Stupid is as stupid does.

What does stupidity costs Wyoming? Millions of dollars, of course. But bonehead legislators don't seem to understand that we live in an age of universal and instantaneous communication.We look dumb all over the planet, and maybe on other planets too.