Wait wait, don't tell me...you're that stupid

Instances of crazy wingnuttery have become so commonplace that it's easy to miss a few here and there. So we need to celebrate it when a prime nugget stares us right in the face. But when there are two staggering instances of utter wingnut stupidity, well that's like Christmas in August.

Let's start in St. Louis, where teabagger Kenneth Gladney was handing out yellow flags that said "Don't Tread on Me" outside a healthcare town hall event, hosted by representative Russ Carnahan. He got into a little scuffle with some pro-reform reps, and ended up going to the hospital to treat injuries to his "knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face." (initially it was reported that he was hospitalized, but it was later corrected to reflect that he sought treatment on his own, rather than being taken away in an ambulance)

Setting aside the fact that the video of the incident (see link above) completely refutes Gaffney's harrowing account of the incident, this has become quite a cause celebre for the right-wing blogosphere. In fact, a protest was organized over the weekend to back Mr. Gaffney. Over 200 people heard his attorney, David Brown, speak on his behalf. All went well until Brown told the crowd that he was accepting donations to defray Gaffney's medical expenses because...wait for it...

Gladney told reporters he was recently laid off and has no health insurance.

So, to be clear, a man goes to a meeting to (in theory) protest health insurance reform, gets into a scuffle, and then has to take up a collection because he lost his health insurance when he lost his job. Got it.

The Investors Business Daily tries to top it, though, by publishing a fear-mongering editorial on the rationing of healthcare. It's garden fare right-wing pablem; you'll be told when to die, Obama wouldn't specifically say that someone won't visit you to tell you how to go, this is going to lead to British-style health care, etc. He then goes on to lay out the "points system" that the Brits use to decide the value of giving a specific person the care they need (i.e. you get points for good health, and lose points for illness or disabilities). Now, I don't think what they say is right, but for now I'll concede to get to the money quote. According to the IBD,

People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.

Well, they're right this is scary. Except for the fact that...wait for it...

Of course, that same Stephen Hawking who wouldn’t have a chance in the United Kingdom was in fact born in the United Kingdom, has lived his entire life in the United Kingdom and lives there still today, at the ripe old age of 67.

Do you think these guys ever try and think things through, or do they just think we don't have access to Google to fact check?