Funny HOAX story, Apparently.

[UdoKier]

Yes, they know what's REALLY important!

http://hoosiergazette.com/News/Nov2004/news003.htm

Hostettler mounting campaign to change the name of Interstate 69
By August Wayne, THG News

John Hostettler, the Congressman representing the 8th district of Indiana, has been convinced by local religious groups to introduce legislation in the House that would change the name of an Interstate 69 extension to a more moral sounding number.

.......

Hostettler, a proponent of the interstate extension, agrees.  “Every time I have been out in the public with an ‘I-69’ button on my lapel, teenagers point and snicker at it.  I have had many ask me if they can have my button.  I believe it is time to change the name of the highway.  It is the moral thing to do.”


By the way, just take a look at this guy.

Um... no comment.


EDIT: This story seemed typical enough of repug thinking to me, but it is apparently a hoax. My apologies.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Amazing.

All the things to consider important, and this clown...

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. What a dweeb

Betcha he gets busted having sex in a park with a tranny hooker sometime next year-he just looks like a closet perv.

[UdoKier]

5. No Shit.

I left "no comment", but this guy just oozes... something...

[sui generis]

3. I don't get it? Please explain what 69 means?

in a whole lot of detail using any combination of diagrams, powerpoint presentations, and interpretive dance.

[verdalaven]

18. Simply put,

It is the number after 68 and before 70. (Sorry, I can't dance. Bad foot. But if you like, I'll hum a little tune?)

[BrainRants]

24. If you hum a little tune

you're halfway to defining what it is!

[datasuspect]

as a pythagorean

i really wish congress would enact legislation outlawing pi and other irrational numbers.

don't get me started on white beans.

[bluestateguy]

4. Is this story from the Onion?

Surely a congressman is not using time and taxpayer money to pursue such a phony issue?

[Lavender Brown]

6. the hoosier gazette is like the onion

It's a satire site.

[UdoKier]

21. Like the Onion

without the humor.

[Lavender Brown]

23. Yeah, it's nowhere near as funny

That's why people actually believe the stories. Keith Olbermann cited it on his show and then had to say "my bad" the next day.

[UdoKier]

10. If only.

The Onion should be out of business soon, the real news has moved in on its territory.

[htuttle]

7. I'm having a chicken and egg problem here

Okay, so he wants to change the name of I-69, because teenagers snicker at his 'I-69' button.

But why was he wearing the I-69 button in the first place? Because he wants to change the name of I-69?

See, this is where my problem comes in. Did the button come first, or the snickering?

Very confused...

[tx_dem41]

8. As much as I don't like the Rep. from Indiana, this is a hoax.

Widely reported a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure its on Snopes by now.

[tx_dem41]

13. Found the link to Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/i69.asp

[UdoKier]

19. Here are the comments on the issue.

http://hoosiergazette.com/News/Nov2004/news004.htm

Here's a story that it is indeed a hoax.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=2573311&nav=3w6oTC9A

Snopes says so too.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/i69.asp


Seemed believable to me...

I wonder if they'll debunk the false story about that school that "banned" the Declaration of Independence?

[DebinTx]

9. Hope whatever he's got isn't catching

as it will be I-69 down through Texas.

From the looks of him, those teenagers are, well, him!

[pk_du]

11. This website is mostly parody...

..from their own website:

<snip>

What exactly is The Hoosier Gazette?

A post from a reader I found on a basketball forum back in February pretty much sums it up:

“I don’t know what in the world the site is about. It seems to have some legit news mixed with crap, mixed with commentary, mixed with God knows what.”

Most of our stories are satire—either completely made up or about a real news story that we may twist around with a few added elements of humor and commentary.

We do post real news stories from small-town newspapers around the state once in a while if they are really absurd and we can’t believe a real newspaper would print something like that. If we do post a story like this, we always cite our source.

<snip>

http://hoosiergazette.com/Feature/Nov2004/feature003.htm

[Carl Brennan]

12. How about "curves ahead". I saw that sign once or twice

and wondered when some fundie zipperhead was going to see the devil at work. :eyes:

[xultar]

14. Did he ever consider to check his nose maybe he had a booger?

OK let's eliminate # 69 all together, like 770-698-0069 and
That Teevee costs $569.69

and my niece weights 69lbs

and .69 oz of tea

and when I'm 69...I'll just shoot myself. How about that.

[kmla]

15. You've been had, 'Onion"-style.

The Hoosier Gazzette is a spoof news website.

Although Hostettler is capable of being this stupid, he hasn't been this stupid. Yet.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/i69.asp

[aintitfunny]

16. Amazing How the Religious Right

has such dirty minds.

[tx_dem41]

17. Amazing how gullible some people are.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/i69.asp

[UdoKier]

20. Amazing? This is out of synch with other GOP priorities?

It seems pretty typical to me.

It's like printing a story that Rush Limbaugh was caught buying drugs or patronizing male prostitutes. Wouldn't surprise me a bit. Totally in character for him.

[tx_dem41]

22. OK...I was a bit harsh perhaps

But, I never believe anything I read on the Internet before checking it out thoroughly. And, someone once said (paraphrasing) that the most effective satire is one that is based on reality.

[UdoKier]

25. I believed it because I also heard it presented as fact on Mike Malloy.

Go rag on him.

:P

[skypilot]

26. Sites like this are actually starting to annoy me.

Real news is already so bizarre that it's easy to initially think that a story like this is for real. I saw this story a couple weeks ago and thought that it was for real. I had to go to the Hoosier Gazette homepage to find out that it is a satire site. If you just go directly to the article there is no indication (at least, that I could see) that this isn't a legitimate article.