Vast Right Conspiracy, Meet Benny Hill

We can't resist kicking off the post-Easter season with a little commentary on the sudden burst of output from neocon blogger, Andrew Sullivan, following his Spring Break. From his recent posts, we learned the following:

1. He got a copy of Private Eye from his (and our) out-of-town newsagent, the one next to the er...dance club...and used two items, breezing by the recurring feature St Albion Parish News, in which his hero, George W. Bush, is portrayed as Rev. Dubya of the Church of Latter Day Morons (or Morbombs, as they have it this week). We also wonder what he made of another recurring feature, a few more details on the US/UK business interests of Richard Perle.

2. He went to see Richard III, along with several members of the vast right wing conspiracy. Doubtless this crew loves any Shakespearean stuff with its depictions of war and leadership -- what are the odds that they were on the phone to one of Bush's speechwriters afterwards with some suggested lines? But we hope Sully doesn't forget that Shakespeare wrote for the Benny Hill crowd as much as for the political elite so not all of R3's lines might be suitable for Dubya's next oration.

Indeed, we challenge our readers to tap into their inner Beavis/Butt-head (it's not very difficult) and read through some segments of R3 without laughing. For starters, try this from Act 5, but we guarantee you laughs just about anywhere in the play.

King Richard:
Here pitch our tent, even here in Bosworth field.
My Lord of Surrey, why look you so sad?
Surrey:
My heart is ten times lighter than my looks.
King Richard:
My Lord of Norfolk -
Norfolk:Here, most gracious liege.
King Richard:
Norfolk, we must have knocks. Ha! Must we not?
Norfolk:
We must both give and take, my loving lord.
King Richard:
Up with my tent! Here will I lie to-night

Just as well there was no one with Dick Cheney's sense of humour around when this was written.