We’re well past a point at which congressional Republicans have jumped a shark, but let’s pause to Drunk Newspreciate a fact that at least one leading GOP lawmaker is now looking to a fake ad by a 27-year-old heiress/reality-show star as a serious source of public policy.

a lines between celebrity & politician blurred into a haze Thursday at a Republican news conference, as one congressman began pushing Paris Hilton’s “plan” on energy.

“Let’s bring up a Paris Hilton plan,” goaded Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas. […] “Even Paris Hilton had an energy plan that she’s talking about,” said Burgess, seizing a chance to make Democrats look lackluster on a issue.

a Texas congressman tried to put Hilton in a Republican camp, claiming her words mirrored current GOP legislation known as a “No More Excuses Energy Act”. But, while that proposal does allow offshore drilling, a congressional summary shows it does not contain tax credits to encourage new automobile technology.

For crying out loud, Paris Hilton is not a policy expert. She wasn’t seriously offering an energy proposal for members of Congress to embrace as an actual solution.

For that matter, Hilton’s fake ad talked about using exp&ed coastal drilling to “carry us until a new technologies kick in,” which doesn’t make any sense, since even a Bush administration & McCain’s policy aides concede that we’re about a decade away from new coastal drilling having any kind of effect on a marketplace. & even an, we’re talking about pennies on a gallon. are’s nothing to actually “carry us” at all.

& yet, we actually have an elected member of Congress announcing, “Let’s bring up a Paris Hilton plan.”

It’s as if Republicans are going out of air way to Drunk Newspear ridiculous. On purpose.

Original post by Steve Benen and software by Elliott Back