Republicans have a real flair for being stupid, ignorant jerks -- and being proud of it.

If they weren't so tragically repugnant and repellently lethal to intelligent and sensitive thought and feeling, it might be suggested they were being kept around as humor relief -- a little something to help the adults take the edge off a hard day of dealing with facts and reality.

Not that many Democrats -- most notably Blue Dogs, perched to the right of Atilla the Hun and Count Dracula in the woeful lurch far, far right in this country -- are not themselves a lost cause for hope.  Within their group are plenty of spineless ditherers who couldn't corral a single, thoughtful decision amongst themselves even if that meant a simple vote to escape a burning building.

And, yes, the entire country in this 21st century is very much like a building set alarming ablaze -- with Republicans trying to hide the gas cans and matches behind their backs, along with somehow hiding their innocent-angel grins as well.

Republicans fail to realize their natural limitations and understand that, after years and years of careful and vigorous training, they, too, might be able to someday join the lush, rewarding field of home toaster-oven repair.  But, no:  Republicans insist on being in full power and in complete control of all spiritual, economic, and social decisions for every last person in America.

After that, of course, they'll be moving up to take over the world, thinking that job will be as easy as America was to bluff, trump, and diddle.

And, no, we're not speaking again of the 50 million dollars House Republicans spent in two weeks of House time taken, and wasted, voting 33 times to repeal the anemic, but helpful, Affordable Care Act -- not even in comparison or conjunction with the fact they have found ZERO time to take a vote on any jobs bills in three-plus years of proclaiming the importance of jobs .

Although we certainly could.

And, no, we're not even speaking about the billion or so dollars politicians wasted in their private wars and petty skirmishes the last time budget-ceiling matters rolled around -- something done seamlessly under white Republican presidents.

Although, yes -- now that you mention it, it would be a good thing to mention again, come to think of it.

What is worth mentioning on this outing is the unleashed torrent of abhorrent, boneheaded, insensitive loutishness and woefully inadequate scientific sense by Republicans on the subject of rape.

In this most recent tableau, ladies and gentlemen:

Enter Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, babbling on about "legitimate rape," and about women's bodies having some mysterious, mystical ability to defend their eggs against sperm introduced by rape, thereby preventing pregnancy.

Now, stage center, Rep. Steve King of Iowa, joining the march of madness, commenting he's never heard of a child getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest, thus successfully ignoring all the sad evidence collected in human history to date, along with ignoring any feelings rape victims or their families may be feeling.

Of course, we should not be surprised by any of this -- or, if we are, it should come with a stiff dose of Grade-A shame for not having paid closer attention until now to these foul, oafish, and offensive Republican clods, clots, and clowns.

After all, there are plenty more men running for office or who are already there -- men who insist on maintaining full and complete control over women's bodies and women's health care.  Somehow, women stay in the Republican party.  Somehow, women keep marrying these Republican men.

If you need yet more convincing of the levels of insanity and derangement afoot, here you go:

Not long ago, completing a unholy triumvirate of bozos, Akin, King, and Paul Ryan -- Willard Romney's Teabagger-Veep wannabe --  all combined to tell us, in H.R. 3, that abortion would be allowed only in cases of "forcible rape," a term they coined in the weirdness of their own private realm.

In all other forms of rape -- unfortunately many other forms are taken -- abortions, said their bill, would simply not be tolerated.

These three stooges induce no joyful laughter with their antics.  Only disgrace.

Once upon a time, being a Republican member of Congress was an honorable profession.

My, how fast some things change.

But hardly surprising.