Things from 2012 I'll Miss

For cartoonists and bloggers, both of whom enjoy making fun of the rich, the famous, the pompous, and of course, the politicians (both those actually elected and the wannabes), the end of the calendar year brings the realization that some of these juicy characters will disappear into the woodwork, and we will have to find new buffoons in the coming year.

Although I realize stupidity has a way of rising from its grave, I will miss the following:

1. Mitt Romney pretending to be normal.
2. The GOP presidential debates, aka, "Send In The Clowns"
3. John Boehner's leadership (?) of a well-paid, do-nothing Congress.
4. Clint Eastwood debating an inanimate object and losing.
5. Senator Mitch McConnell voting against his own legislation.
6. The NRA's solution to sky-rocketing gun violence: the manufacture and sales of more guns.
7. Catholic bishops trying to make contraception a "religious liberty" issue.
8. Tim Tebow sitting by himself on the end of the New York Jets' bench.
9. Donald Trump failing to provide documentation that he is a human being.
10. News reporters' embarrassment in reporting on the Russian female band, Pussy Riot.

11. The euthanasia of Hostess Twinkies.
12. Nude photos of Kate Middleton.
13. Republicans explaning the concept of "legitimate rape."
14. Karl Rove's "premature" ejaculation on election night on Fox.
15. Benedict XVI and Ayatollah Khomeni  joining Twitter -- who said those dudes were out of touch?
16. John McCain thinking Sarah Palin was qualified to be Vice-president, but finding fault with  U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.
17. Romney's immigration policy: "Self Deportation."
18. Augusta National Golf Club, after decades of searching, finally finding 2 women worthy of being members.
19. The NFL revealing that players try to hurt their opponents.
20. The Vatican prosecuting "the butler" for revealing their financial shenanigans.

21. Vladimir Putin claiming to believe in democratic principles.
22. Boehner holding middle class tax cuts hostage to cuts for the wealthy.
23. Koch Brothers spending millions to convince us there is no global warming.
24. White supremacists  and other hate-based racists claiming to be patriots.
25. Tea Party puppets claiming creationism is as reasonable as evolution.
26. Putin holding orphans as political hostages.
27. Walmart's reassurances it will not buy from from unsafe factories.
28. Tax breaks for the obscenely wealthy creating jobs for the rest of us slobs.
29. Hobby Lobby paying $1.3 million a day in fines rather than providing health care to their employees.
30. Fifty Shades of Grey  -- enough said.

In the interest of honesty, I must admit these individuals and groups are easy targets and I would therefore miss them if they disappeared. However, the rich, the famous, the pompous, the greedy, and the self-declared-important have a way of re-inventing themselves. And I say: thank God! They are a constant source of amusement for the rest of us.

I have listed only 30, but I am sure there are more 2012 buffoons. Feel free to list the many I have overlooked in the "comments" section below (or on FB).