What's new and improved about the Barney Fife Brigade, a selection of Congress men and women, whose intentions may be good, but whose ability to represent the interests of the people who hire them and pay their salaries is grossly deficient, is the addition of individuals, upon outside recommendation, and the inclusion of the States and Districts from which they were elected.
Although we only have to replace 24 Barneys with competent Democrats to get a working majority in the House of Representatives, the Brigade (clearly an exaggeration) has now grown to 27 in response to some heartfelt nominations. The inclusion of John Boehner was also suggested, but I'm not sure the former plastics salesman qualifies as a Barney.
Also, Don Knott's rendition of Barney was a bit over the top. The creators of the Andy Griffin Show were, after all, trying to be funny. See for yourself.
Perhaps it is worth noting that since my home life was never stable or affluent enough to watch TV, the iconic TV programming which seems to have influenced so many memories of how things used to be comes to me only by reputation. And the character of Barney Fife is a revelation. Perhaps it takes an outsider to see what other people miss because it's so familiar.
What's obvious from the "new and improved" list of politicians, whose election was largely a consequence of all politicians, not just the president, being sold like soap flakes, is that the Barneys come from just about everywhere and anywhere. Which suggests that the people who elect them are responding to similar triggers -- memories, prejudices, desires, familiar experiences.
Certainly, the voters are not making intelligent decisions. Which is not to say the voters are to blame. Rather, what's been on offer by people intent on controlling the political process, are instinct-driven candidates, whose lack of self-consciousness, foresight, and the ability to reflect on their own behavior makes them ideal messengers of talking points that are taylored to deceive. In addition, what the Barneys also seem to have in common is a certain chameleon-like quality which enables them not to change color to meld into their surroundings, but to mirror the attitudes and expectations of the people they encounter. Which would explain why it is important that their handlers insure that the "wrong" people don't show up in the audience. Progressives, one suspects, are likely to have the same effect as a red bandanna does on a bull.
Anyway, here are the 27 Barneys we've identified so far as deserving to be put out to pasture. Undoubtedly, there will be additions, but we don't want to spread our endeavors too thin. Remember that there should probably be two or three good Democrats for each office to choose from, if only in the interest of broadening the electoral experience of our bench.
Louie Gohmert(TX-01)
Joe Wilson(SC-02)
Michele Bachmann(MN-06)
Paul Broun(GA-10)
John Culberson(TX-07)
Phil Gingrey(GA-11)
Clif Stearns(FL-06)
Frank Guinta(NH-01)
Charles Bass(NH-02)
Allen West(FL-22)
Daniel Webster(FL-08)
Tom Graves(GA-09)
Austin Scott(GA-08)
Lou Barletta(PA-11)
Patrick McHenry(NC-10)
Chip Cravaack(MN-08)
Thaddeus McCotter(MI-11)
Sean Duffy(WI-07)
Eric Cantor(VA-07)
Jeff Denham(CA-19)
Steve Womack(AR-03)
Steve Southerland(FL-02)
Virginia Foxx(NC-05)
Joe Heck(NV-03)
John Campbell(CA-48)
Andy Harris (MD-01)
Peter King (NY-03)
P.S. I doubt very much Barney Frank will be put out by our singling out the Barney Fifes. Nobody is going to mistake him for one of them. Though, he is a funny man.