You know, MY mother is happy to see me during the holidays.

And it’s not because she agrees with my politics: she doesn’t.  Mom is a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat and Obama supporter.  But we don’t fight over politics over the Thanksgiving or Christmas tables.  Not coincidentally, my mother’s also someone who has never felt the need to embarrass and berate her children on CSPAN:

Brad and Dallas Woodhouse are now the champions of awkward CSPAN calls, after the politically divided brothers ended up taking a call from their mom.

[snip]

She’d called to take issue with something her kids said on air: That the brothers’ political bickering — you see, one is liberal, and the other is conservative — is typical of most families. “I don’t know many families that are fighting at Thanksgiving,” she said. “I’m hoping you’ll have some of this out of your system when you come here for Christmas. I would really like a peaceful Christmas.”

The Washington Post has the video clip, which is hysterical, and probably the sort of thing that many political operatives have nightmares about.  I particularly found engrossing the bit where Mrs. Woodhouse told the world how nice it was to have a quiet Thanksgiving for once, seeing as both of her sons were visiting in-laws.  The Washington Post left that bit out, possibly out of mercy: but there is no mercy in my soul for the Brad Woodhouses of the world.

Also: this is why you don’t talk politics with your family during the holidays.  No, seriously, don’t. I don’t care if the White House wants you to.  The White House wants lots of things, including a few things that we’re not sure that their staffers can even spell properly.

Via @jenhab.

Moe Lane

PS: I do have mercy in my soul for the Dallas Woodhouses of the world, which is why I’m throwing brickbats exclusively at Dallas’s brother. Although I am a little peeved at Dallas Woodhouse for encouraging Brad Woodhouse’s sub-par behavior: if Dallas Woodhouse hadn’t, I could have snarked something like ‘looks like Democrats ruin families and Republicans don’t‘ with a moderately clear conscience.  Alas.