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The Navigator

Former Capitol staffers roast one and all

By Rick Gershman
Published March 17, 2006

When I was younger, I never found politics funny.

Maybe it was my complete lack of interest in all things related to politics. Or government. Or the world in general. Or anything other than wrestling and football and soccer and the Mario Bros. and Baywatch.

(To clarify: By younger years, I mean until the age of, oh, 30. And no, not professional wrestling. I have my standards.)

Eventually, I learned that Mean Joe Greene, Nicole Eggert and Donkey Kong were pretty much unfit to lead our country, even though I continue to believe that they would make an awesome ticket.

So I had to turn my attention to what actually was going on in the world. And by turn my attention to it, I mean the Times was paying me to do it so, really, I had no other choice.

I'm more politically active these days, now that we're about 15 seconds from total annihilation. I'm not going to sit idly by and watch this country go down the tubes. I'm going to stand up and make my voice heard.

So yeah, that's me yelling at President Bush - when he's on TV, that is, and I'm home, sitting in my boxers and eating Rocky Road.

At, like, noon.

On a Tuesday.

Hey, sometimes you have to sacrifice to make your voice heard. (Or, at the very least, your boss does.)

But rest assured, I don't spend all of my time slamming the president. I'm happy to rip leaders from across the political spectrum.

I rolled on the floor when Hillary Clinton pandered to conservatives on flag burning; when Mel Martinez claimed that a Terri Schiavo-related memo magically appeared in his pocket; when John Kerry spent 2,437 rambling words to express the simple statement "You're lying about me. Now cut it out before I step on you."

Yep, I was just laughing about that the other day.

At, like, noon.

On a Wednesday.

(Maybe my boss is right: I need to get to bed earlier.)

Anyway, you can expect equal-opportunity political satire from the Capitol Steps, a musical comedy group composed mostly of ex-Capitol Hill staffers. The Steps continue their Tampa tour this weekend in the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center's Ferguson Hall.

Put together, the performers have worked in 18 congressional offices and have 62 years of House and Senate staff experience. The troupe has recorded 25 albums, the most recent being Four More Years in the Bush Leagues.

No matter your political stripe, it's hard to argue that the current administration has had anything but a horrible year. Which means the Steps, like Jon Stewart, will have plenty of great material to work with.

Expect Dubya and his attorney-assaulting right-hand man to get their fair share of flak, but the Steps will spread it around, just as they did back in the days of Bubba and the Blue Dress.

Just remember: I work across the street, so don't park in my spot. I'm not afraid to make my voice heard.

And I've got a lot of Rocky Road.

Rick Gershman can be reached at rgershman@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3431. His Times blog, The Ill Literate, is at www.sptimes.com/blogs/tampaarts.

IF YOU GO The Capitol Steps perform tonight through Sunday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Show times are 7:30 p.m. today, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $27.50 and $29.50. Go to www.tbpac.org or call 229-7827.

[Last modified March 16, 2006, 13:25:55]