Last week, in an interview with the New Republic, President Obama said something about his love for skeet shooting, the subtle art of throwing a clay disk up in the air and shooting the hell out of it.
"Up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time," the president told the magazine. He was trying to make a point about not being completely anti-gun, following up the skeet shooting anecdote with one about hunting, saying, "And I have profound respect for the traditions of hunting that trace back in this country for generations. And I think those who dismiss that out of hand make a big mistake."
Fine. The president is clearly trying to counteract his reputation among conservatives as a big ol' gun-hating, Commie-loving, secret-Muslim-being -- never mind. You get the idea. Instead, that interview has led to a wave of skeet skepticism from right-wing politicians and pundits, including a Tennessee congresswoman who's demanding photos of said skeet shooting and challenging Obama to a shooting contest.
In his inimitable style, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott chimed in this morning, challenging Obama to a contest of his own. Because this is all really important and we must settle this matter immediately.
"I challenge Pres. Obama to a skeet shooting contest," Abbott wrote on Facebook this morning. "I'll even invite him to hunt here in Texas. 'LIKE' if you'd like to see the contest."
Of course, the challenge already has hundreds of likes, plus Abbott fans' usual unhinged color commentary. "Make damn sure he buys a nonresident license!" writes one commenter. "Make sure he has a birth cert and a hunters safety course. And bring your own security team. He might try to pull a Cheney on you."
"I don't want that Reprobate prevaricator in Texas, No way Atty. General Abbott," another dude chimes in. "Unless you plan on arresting him for Treason!"
Charming. It's wildly unlikely that Obama will respond to the challenge, of course, given that the White House has already declined to comment on that Tennessee congresswoman's similarly thrown-down gauntlet.
But how long will it be before challenging President Obama to skeet shooting becomes the new hip conservative trend, the 2013 equivalent of signing Grover Norquist's tax pledge? We can hardly wait to watch this total non-story as it inevitably unfolds.
