April 14, 2006

Bill Hobbs

Bill asked me to post this. I will add no commentary with it at this time.

I am resigning from Belmont University in an amicable and mutual parting of the ways, effective Monday. I wish Belmont University, a truly fine university and a Nashville treasure, only the best in all things. Well, except basketball as I, a Lipscomb alum, will now resume rooting for my alma mater when the two schools meet on the basketball courts.

Comments:

Please Note! Failure to abide by the following may result in your comments being edited or deleted: Remain on topic. Foul language and/or personal attacks are not permitted. Excessive links (more than three per thread) must be approved first. If you do include a link in your comment, make sure it is a short link (go to tinyurl.com if it is too long). Try to keep comments to 125 words or less. Thank you.

I am so horrified that it came to this, and sickened by the entire thing. A man with a family no longer has a job.

Posted by: Katherine Coble at April 14, 2006 11:34 AM

Aren't Republicans always preaching accountability? Or is that just for poor people.

Posted by: MP at April 14, 2006 11:47 AM

Yes, conservatives do preach accountability. We also talk a whole lot about "the punishment fitting the crime." While I think Bill did not the smartest of things, I also don't think his private misstep needed to be conflated to a public flogging followed by grave personal crisis.

Posted by: Katherine Coble at April 14, 2006 11:51 AM

You HAVE GOT to be kidding! It's come to this? THIS is chilling. Freedom of speech took another hit.

Oh Bill. I don't have the words to express---this is just too much. You and your family are in our prayers.

Posted by: Kay Brooks at April 14, 2006 12:32 PM

The only comment I have on this whole situation could be summed up in the same way this whole thing started: a political cartoon. If I had the time, talent, and the audacity to follow it through, it would be something like this:

A political cartoon with Bill Hobbs as Jesus Christ, being nailed to the cross on this Good Friday by John Spragens, dressed as a centurion. Of course, nailed above Bill's head is the Muhammad Cartoon that he posted that started this whole mess.

Posted by: Tim Morgan at April 14, 2006 12:50 PM

look this is no big deal. all bill has to do is contact his union rep. and they will get him reinstated.

Posted by: danelectro at April 14, 2006 01:13 PM

That simply sucks.

Posted by: Preston Taylor Holmes at April 14, 2006 02:34 PM

Beyond injustice.

Posted by: Donna Locke at April 14, 2006 02:43 PM

This is certainly a travesty of justice and a threat to our First Amendment Rights.

Posted by: Alex C. at April 14, 2006 04:11 PM

This is certainly a travesty of justice and a threat to our First Amendment Rights.

Posted by: Alex C. at April 14, 2006 04:12 PM

Arn't Democrates always preaching about understanding and forgiveness? Or is that just for Hollywood Celebrities and Illegal Aliens?

Posted by: bob at April 14, 2006 04:18 PM

Accountability? To whom or what? To free speech, and his conscience?

Or to savages who want to kill us all?

I'd like to think Bill will get his union to fight for him, but given the tilt of most unions, I doubt it.

Posted by: Nick Byram at April 14, 2006 04:32 PM

Accountability for what? For not caving into muslim extremists just because they don't like a cartoon? What happened to freedom of speech?

The Democrats caved big-time on this, which I find incredibly ironic...they complain about the "right wing" here, yet they completely cave to the "right wing" Muslims.

Posted by: dean at April 14, 2006 04:53 PM

If you like what happened to Bill today, be sure to vote Democrat in 2006 and 2008. The barbarians are truly at the gate.

Posted by: Patrick Johnson at April 14, 2006 05:02 PM

It was once called McCarthyism but in this case, the person being forced to resign is right. All the best to you Bill. No prisoners are taken at the Battle of Kartoon.

Posted by: Demohypocrates at April 14, 2006 05:07 PM

Freedom of speach is only for left wing dim-wit liberals. All others that speak are criminals. Remember this when you select a college for your children. Liberalism is a one sided education.

Posted by: Scrapiron at April 14, 2006 05:17 PM

Between this and the librarian at OSU being charged with sexual harassment for suggesting the "wrong books" ,it is clear that the Left in this country is out to squash ideas,all ideas,that do not fit into their PC hell.

Posted by: mbruce at April 14, 2006 05:40 PM

American liberals have decided on their fate. Going forward, we all need to hold them to Sharia law. They have refused to oppose it, attack all who challenge it and seek to debate or oppose it on principled grounds, and all but accept it in name. They, not the Islamists, have helped impose Sharia on in our culture through this absurd cartoon incident.

Libs, we accept your choice. Going forward, we will challenge you at your workplace, in your entertainment, in your deviant lifestyles, and in any expression of thought inconsistent with Sharia. Granted, I'm a faith-oriented libertarian and not a Muslim extremist, but as a good person of reason, I understand that consequence must always follow choice. You're going to get yours.

You attempted to remove our freedom of thought, expression, association and right to defend ourselves. Now it's time for us to throw you in with the Islamist fascist lot you so seek to appease. No more abstract coffee shop nihlism for you; it's time for rational persons to let you experience the consequence you fail to comprehend by challenging your rights to any and every leftist expression and deviant thought in every venue.

Posted by: cowtipper at April 14, 2006 06:08 PM

This offense against Free Speech will not stand!

Posted by: Ronald Barbour at April 14, 2006 06:17 PM

Only Conservatives are held accountable. How many of the TN Waltz have been made to account so far? Seems to me it's one Republican. It's a freakin' cartoon and this is the result? How sad for our society and culture. Especially considering more aggregious and vulgar cartoons are printed and posted regularly on Jesus or Christians. I don't think anyone has a hissy fit or loses a job.

Posted by: toni at April 14, 2006 06:18 PM

Bill, I am so sorry that you felt this the best way out, but I respect your decision, as I expect you find it best for you and your family. I fear for our country, but I will not sit by and watch the PC left, the incredible idiotic and wrong-thinking PC left win without a fight.

Thank you for having the courage to the truth. God bless you and your family.

Steve Carr
Cincinnati, OH

Posted by: Steven Carr at April 14, 2006 06:32 PM

Man, I had no idea Belmont was viewed as so leftist, dim-witted, liberal and PC.

Posted by: brittney at April 14, 2006 06:37 PM

Yeah?? Try growing up on 21st and Belcourt (when there was still a neighborhood there).

Belmont used to have "lockdown" of the female coeds.

Where' you from again?

Posted by: Real Nashvillian at April 14, 2006 07:04 PM

dhimwits!

Freedom of conscience and freedom of speech include the right to criticize, make fun of and indeed pillory the beliefs of others -including religious beliefs

Posted by: Terry Gain at April 14, 2006 07:09 PM

*Comment Removed by Admin*

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 14, 2006 07:10 PM

wtf?

Posted by: brittney at April 14, 2006 07:24 PM

Brittney, I think Improbulous is just speaking for many of Bill's type.

Posted by: volvosnlattes4all at April 14, 2006 09:03 PM

The weird thing is that most of Bill's peeps have no problem with suppressing and punishing free speech when it's done by the small-minded bully's administration.

Posted by: volvosnlattes4all at April 14, 2006 09:26 PM

Lipscomb , that means that he is Church of Christ.

You know those church of christ people, thier wives will shoot you and they don't dance or drink.

Posted by: cube at April 14, 2006 09:44 PM

Once again, we see proof that freedom of speech is only reserved for liberals and islamofascist nutjobs.

Posted by: TexasRainmaker at April 14, 2006 10:12 PM

Freedom of speech only applies to governmental censorship.Not to sanctions by your employers.That being said,I'm astonished that a man would be fired for responding to a vile anti Semitic contest with a satire would be fired.I've left my job to start a private practice and I'm certaily not making money,but i can hit the tip jar.

Posted by: colin at April 14, 2006 10:23 PM

America is being attacked. Time for good men and women everywhere who love their country to stand up and look them in the eye, give me liberty or give me death and make your stand. Liberals are bullies and like all bullies just bloody their nose and they will back down. They will take all the ground you let them have. DONT let them have it.

Posted by: Walleye guy at April 14, 2006 10:28 PM

Don't call it Islamofacism...it's Islammunism. The facism part is a trick the left has used for decades, the same way they refer to America as a democracy; we are a representative republic.

Now Comedy Central is censoring Muhammed, but had no problem showing Bush and Jesus crapping over everyone seconds later on SOUTH PARK. There's only one reason for this blatant hypocrisy: Islam will kill, Christians will not. Those in charge are afraid, cowards of the worst type, complete with wet underwear and girly scream. Political Castration has won the day.

WWW.WARCHICK.COM

Posted by: Resa LaRu Kirkland at April 15, 2006 12:25 AM

You realize that caving in to this only serves to perpetuate the idealogy that terrorism, violence and threats of violence is the correct and only way to go about getting what one wants in todays world society. Personally, if I read this right, Bill should be taking Belmont University to the cleaners in court, where the First Amendment is still backed up by the judicial system... I hope. DOWN WITH DHIMMITUDE. THE USA IS NOT AN ISLAMIC STATE!

Posted by: demonsurfer at April 15, 2006 02:42 AM

This is a travesty. Schools are the ultimate epitome of hypocisy. I absolutely loathe academics at places like this. There is a demand for all kinds of diversity save for the diversity of thought. Is there any truth to the rumor that the same people who run the university also run the Comedy Channel?

Posted by: drjohn at April 15, 2006 07:49 AM

volvosnlattes4all: Examples, please. Give me some EXAMPLES of the Bush administration suppressing free speech.

Oh, never mind. We all know how Cindy Sheehan, Al Gore, Markos Mulitsas Zuniga, Harry Belafonte Jr., Janeane Garofalo, Michael Moore, Alec Baldwin, etc., etc. have been rounded up and taken away by black helicopters to Halliburton-built concentration camps run by the Bush/Rove/Cheney neocon zionist cabal.

Posted by: Gregg at April 15, 2006 08:04 AM

You come up with some darn good ideas, Gregg!

Posted by: Fentriss at April 15, 2006 08:53 AM

You're kidding, right?? Cheney risked national security and the lives of CIA agents by exposing an agent just for political payback. Why does he hate America and where have you been? As if that's not enough:

Staged "town hall" Bush bamboozles. Scientists have been drummed out of civil service careers for having their work stifled. Government web sites and official gov't. reports have been purged of views that don't conform, e.g., climate change wording edited by ExxonMobil's PR dept. When reports surface that expose the admin, e.g. secret wiretapping, Emperor Bush-Cheney-McClellan always trudge out the language about "giving comfort to our enemies" B.S. The group you list has been marginalized and ridiculed as extremist nuts, just for airing their views. How many times has an opposing position, such as a grieving military mother's opposition to this quagmire, been characterized as "playing to far left elements like Michael Moore"? High level GOP ops jammed Dem's get out the vote phone calls on election day and stayed in touch directly with the White House all the while.

Sent to a place like Gitmo? No, but you'd like to send libs there if you could, and the right has settled on a sustained smear of branding liberals as enemies and traitors on par with Bin Laden. Words have meaning. The GOP has infamously changed the stakes of politics by replacing the words "political opponent" with "enemy." What country do you really want to live in?

Fortunately, America is finally waking up and the number of Bush apologists remaining on your tiny little piece of floating ice is dwindling as quickly as the ice is melting from under you. Enjoy your ride!

Posted by: volvosnlattes4all at April 15, 2006 09:06 AM

Leave it to the sick liberals to change the subject. The question here is, does this freedom allow us to make fun of a pedophile, terrorist figure head that formed a cult of murder in the desert 1,400 years ago.

Have we forgotten the nation's largest leason about islam on 9-11? I've got news for the PC head in the sand it's all Bush's fault morons. Ever heard of Dhimmitude with the knife Sharia? Boy are you morons in for a chuckle.

Posted by: Democraps at April 15, 2006 09:12 AM

Ridiculous DHIMMITUDE - time to make some waves!

Posted by: cal at April 15, 2006 09:38 AM

Volvo - nice recitation of Joshua Marshall's "muckraking" talking points. Are you a David Brock fan too? Virtually every example you povided can be refuted with fair and sober analysis (Plame/Wilson, NSA wiretapping...)
.
You cry about mythical republicans branding you the "enemy" - yet it is the Democrats and their MSM toadies that try and conflate every act of our government (in a time of war) into Watergate or a war-crime. Even censuring the President! Every week we get a new "shock revelation" from the MSM that gins up the sheep, only for the papers to offer corrections a week later.
.
At least show some consistency, if you are really that scared about our rights, have you not even a peep about our self-censorship about cartoons? Didn't think so - no worries, Bush is the real problem.
.
In the Libs mind, the world will return back to "normal" as soon as they get back into power. Merely hoping for a war-weary public.
.
Best of luck Bill!

Posted by: SouthernCali at April 15, 2006 09:46 AM

I have not always agreed with Bill on everything but this whole thing is ridiculous.

Bill Hobbs should not have had to resign over a cartoon that was done on his own time. If a few PC people hadn't made such a big deal over it, almost nobody would even know he had drawn the thing.

Contrast that with Al Franken's "Supply Side Jesus" which was clearly intended to offend Christians. Yet, Franken gets a pass. It seems that Christians and Jews can be attacked, but nobody else.

This is what happens when Political Correctness takes over.

Bill, stand strong. You will be fine.

Posted by: Reason at April 15, 2006 09:46 AM

Reason - you said: "This is what happens when Political Correctness takes over".
.
I respectfully beg to differ. I believe this is what happens when FEAR takes over. I would like to believe that even the most PC Lefty could not articulate an intelligent argument how mocking one monotheistic religion is OK while mocking another is not. Let alone the mere posting of mild images of Muhammad.
.
Notice how no one even argues the merrits of the issue anymore. Instead, we simply get comments from Borders Books and Comedy Central - about how they are trying to look out for the safety of their employees. Essentially admitting that a portion of the Muslim world is violently unhinged and that we have to adapt OUR behaviour to keep us safe from their wrath.
.
What kind of message does this send?

Posted by: SouthernCali at April 15, 2006 10:03 AM

volvosnlattes4all: It's unfortunate that Volvos have been associated with the "Sante Fe/Taos/Boulder" academic leftists since the 60s. I own 2 Volvos because they are a durable, smart investment and Lattes are my favorite Starbucks drink. BUT. I am staunchly Pro-Christian, Pro-Conservative. Freedom of speech applies to ALL. All. Not just those on the left. It's sadly so true that most back off from confrontation with Islamists because "Islamists kill, Christians don't". I'm certainly not avocating that we start killing. Absolutely not. But we, all, not just Christians, need to start standing up to them. For them to kill because of a stupid cartoon is asinine. How many times has Jesus been "dissed" by many artists in many venues. Remember the Crucifix in a jar of urine? Feces on a painting of Mary? Get real. We didn't riot in the streets and kill the artists. Felt like it? Yes, but we didn't act on it. They have a right to express their opinions, however repulsive. Bill should not have backed down. Talk never works with bullies. To those who favor "talking and reasoning" have obviously never been bullied by someone. How many times, many years ago in high school, did I wish for the "testicular fortitude", i. e. "gonads" and the where-with-all to resist that first bully. But I, as a fat & weak teenager, couldn't. So it went on and on. If you get a knee in the groin, you need to reply with a knee in the groin and add some to it. The message being, screw with me you get the same back, plus. That tends to stop the bully. Sometimes it takes more than once but it eventually gets the message across. But that's not a popular action these days, unfortunately. Talk, talk, talk and convince them we're nice people and they'll leave us alone. As we said in the Army, back in another time, it's long past the time to "kick ass and take names". But I'm affraid that doesn't agree with your point of view. I fear for you and the rest of us in these times. Resistance is NOT futile. It is necessary and a matter of life or death, now.

Posted by: Roger at April 15, 2006 10:08 AM

This is more than a travesty.

It shows that the wrong people are more fearful than those screaming they will kill us for impuning their religion.

And the only 'backbone' being demonstrated is to take it out on our own kind - rather than the nitwits from the other side of the planet.

Posted by: Daniel McAndrew at April 15, 2006 10:25 AM

The arrogance, the temerity, and oh, so foolish pride. Don't forget the rampaging cowardice of those fools who struck him from their books. Send some cash his way as I just did and hope for a better tomorrow for the family.

Posted by: Coleman at April 15, 2006 10:56 AM

The hypocrisy of the radical left is becoming increasingly more breathtaking with each passing year. I can no longer tell the difference between the liberal socialists and closet jihadists. Their hate-Bush/hate-America rhetoric and now their methods of censorship are virtually identical.

Let the left become dhimmies under a future shari'a, they are already half-way there with this cave in to thin-skinned Muslims. But for the sake of our posterity, dear American, never let these looniversity wacademics and their ilk ever walk the halls of power of this country lest we desire an eventual capitulation to shari'a and dhimmitude.

Secular liberals plain don't have the intellectual or moral vigor to oppose the clever tactics of this growing Islamofascist threat. Want proof? Just look at the new Eurabia which is emerging.

How the left could on the one hand celebrate Orfili's rendering of the Virgin Mary in elephant dung and then bleat about respecting the "religious sensibilities" of a faith which is a breeding ground for the murderous militantism of Islamic fundamentalists not only borders on the incredulous but is also dangerously Orwellian.

When Christians peacefully protested such blasphemies like Serrano's "Piss Christ", we were called "censors" for merely criticizing the criticizer! But isn't it interesting how the left kow-tows to the Muslim fundamentalists over often very innocuous cartoons of Mohammed and Islam? It wouldn't be because Muslims around the world have already demonstrated on their Arab streets that they would like nothing more than to "behead/annihilate/murder" (their words, I have the photos) decadent infidels for merely expressing their opinions about the inherent militancy of modern Islamic fundamentalism? What delicious irony. So what is the lesson here. Why the lesson is if Christians had threatened to blow up buildings and kill cartoonists we must might get a little more respect here in our own secular society, right? Think about it, you wacademics. Not only have Christians conducted themselves in a far more civil manner regarding the murder of unborn babies by the millions and the rank mockery and blasphemies generated by self-righteous seculars who call right wrong and wrong right, but we also have to suffer under this Orwellian double-standard that pointy little heads are now rushing to institutionalize.

Posted by: Hank Seiter at April 15, 2006 11:12 AM

SUPPORT THE DANISH!

Recently, a man had to be rescued because he converted from Islam to christianity.

THEY WERE GOING TO KILL HIM!

The problem, it seems, is not just the terrorists, but a religion that preaches hate, death & destruction.

ISLAM, like other dangerous religions, must be outlawed.

:/

Posted by: VonHelton at April 15, 2006 11:40 AM

I think where Bill went wrong was in not declaring himself a Native American and calling the victims of the Trade Center "little Eichmanns". Life is full of bumps like this one. I've no doubt that Mr. Hobbs will land on his feet.

Posted by: Kyda Sylvester at April 15, 2006 01:55 PM

"Leave it to the sick liberals to change the subject. The question here is, does this freedom allow us to make fun of a pedophile, terrorist figure head that formed a cult of murder in the desert 1,400 years ago."

Answer ... NOPE!

The only acceptable prejudices for Liberals are against Christians, conversatives, and patriots.

"It was once called McCarthyism but in this case, the person being forced to resign is right. "

McCarthy was never this narrow-minded nor hostile to free expression. A man is being fired for speaking his mind truthfully... it's shameful.

Posted by: at April 15, 2006 05:07 PM

"You're kidding, right?? Cheney risked national security and the lives of CIA agents by exposing an agent just for political payback."

What an idiotic statement. Valarie Plame and husband decided to go on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine ... nobody's after them yet. Meanwhile, Sen Kerry exposes a *real* CIA agents name during the Bolton hearings and nary a ripple of comment. Or when Sen Rockefellar decided on multiple occasions to give secret information to the media and to (gasp) Syria.

"Why does he hate America and where have you been?"

On may well ask that of Democrats in the Senate like Dick Durbin, who shamefully smeared our military as constructing a 'gulag', playing into hands of terrorists and giving enemies undeserved PR boost.

It's crystal-clear what's wrong in American politics today.
Republicans think the enemy is Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Islamofascism, and the terrorists ...
the liberals and Democrats and left think the enemy is Bush/Cheney and our own Republican-led Government.

Posted by: at April 15, 2006 05:11 PM

"respectfully beg to differ. I believe this is what happens when FEAR takes over. I would like to believe that even the most PC Lefty could not articulate an intelligent argument how mocking one monotheistic religion is OK while mocking another is not. Let alone the mere posting of mild images of Muhammad."

The Left doesnt care about being *right*, they care about socking to the 'real enemy', which to them are taxpaying conservative American Christian Republicans.

They care more about socking it here at home, and not a wit about winning or losing the GWOT ... I'm sure if you ask them -
"1 billion humans can be liberated from Sharia, but the price would be Republican conservative rule in America for a generation, would you accept it?" ... they'd answer "NO!"

Posted by: at April 15, 2006 05:14 PM

"You cry about mythical republicans branding you the "enemy" - yet it is the Democrats and their MSM toadies that try and conflate every act of our government (in a time of war) into Watergate or a war-crime. Even censuring the President! Every week we get a new "shock revelation" from the MSM that gins up the sheep, only for the papers to offer corrections a week later."

VERY GOOD POINT.

Again, the left thinks the enemy is the Bush administration and US Government, and attacks it day-in-day-out in vicious, unrestrained, unfair, and unbound by truth ... and then cluelessly whines 'why are you attacking our patriotism?' whne someone dares question their distorted priorities and bias.

Posted by: at April 15, 2006 05:16 PM

"You're kidding, right?? Cheney risked national security and the lives of CIA agents by exposing an agent just for political payback. Why does he hate America and where have you been? As if that's not enough:" volvosnlattes4all

You are wrong volvosnlattes4all

The facts of the Wilson affair are too well known for you to be peddling this line.

Plame, who was not a secret agent, prevailed upon the CIA to assign her husband to go to Niger to investigate whether Iraq had attempted to obtain uranium in Africa.

In Niger Wilson was informed that Iraq had made enquiries about establishing trade relations. The Nigerians understood Iraq was interested in obtaining uranium.

Wilson submitted an oral report consistent with what he had learned. Interestingly the CIA did not have Wilson sign a confidentiality agreement, which would have been standard.

Unconstrained by notions of honesty, integrity, patriotism or decency Wilson wrote a op-ed for the NYT where he claimed:
1. that he had been sent by Cheney's office (a Lie)
2.that he saw documents which were forgeries (a lie)
3. that he saw nothing that supported Bush's SOTU statement (another lie)

Wilson then went on a speechmaking campaign where he repeated his lies and later added another one denying that his wife played a role in his "assignment".

The information conveyed by Libby to Miller was not intended to damage a political opponent but to counter a misinformation campaign which was not merely damaging the President BUT WAS UNDERMINING THE WAR.

To date there is is no reliable information in the public relam that anyone other than Joe Wilson "leaked" Plame's name.

When he statred telling his lies Wilson would have known that Plame's role in his sordid unpatriotic affair would come out.

Admittedly the entire matter has been mishandled by Bush. He should have called a press conference and exposed Wilson as the liar he is and he should have responded to the claims that Plame was exposed by pointing out that she wasn't a covert agent and it was her husband who exposed her.

Posted by: Terry Gain at April 15, 2006 06:12 PM

I haven't gotten such a laugh from a cartoon in a long time.

Posted by: Nelson Muntz at April 16, 2006 01:14 PM

Belmont can add itself to the list of Tennessee Universities that I will no longer support financially: both they and Vanderbilt (who caved in to the PC-thug left by vowing the removal of the the word 'Confederate' in the name on the Confederate Memorial Hall a few years back, only to finally be told by a right-thinking judge to either pay the price to remove it - some $700k after adjustments for inflation of the original $50,000 donation for naming rights in perpetuity by a Confederate memorial group - or leave it alone) have shown their yellow bellies by cowering to those who would remove a Constitutionally affirmed right to Free Speech. I say affirmed because the Constitution in itself does not GIVE rights per se, it merely affirms the God-given right of man to self-determination and decision. It breaks my heart to see instutions of (supposed) higher learning in my beloved Tennessee bend and scrape to the forces of fascism in the guise of 'tolerance.'

Shame on them both.

Posted by: Dave at April 16, 2006 02:38 PM

Anybody have a copy of said cartoon or a link thereto? It should be spread far and wide in support of Bill.

Posted by: Glen at April 16, 2006 02:49 PM

It seems that the leaders of Belmont University have joined the throng of gutless PC rectums that would rather wreak havoc on the First Amendment than stand up for their employees and constitutional rights. Shame on them!

Posted by: Bruce at April 16, 2006 03:00 PM

OH MY GOD! He's lost his job at Belmont University?!

Seriously, what is that, a community college? No big loss. I've read that guy's writing, why doesn't he get a job at a REAL school? Perhaps one that gives out real 4 year degrees that aren't printed on toilet paper (you know, to inform prospective employers as to their intended use).

Belmont University?! Really, don't settle.

Posted by: Some Guy at April 17, 2006 09:07 AM

Being PC isn't a bad thing. It's an incredibly neccessary thing in today's world. Belmont University is an amazing institution and while Hobbs certainly has the right to speak his mind, Belmont certainly has the right to fire him. I am proud of Belmont for not being sensitive to just Christian viewpoints.

Posted by: Ean at April 21, 2006 05:24 PM

What a den of iniquity of the right wing this is.

In the interest of time, I'll pick from the many errors and respond to some of one of the more complete and clearly-written posts, by Terry Gain on Joe Wilson, where he claims to be correcting someone.

"Plame, who was not a secret agent"

Of course she was. That's how NOCs work - they have a cover, as she did, and often spend long periods over here. The CIA did an investigation as to whether she was, and reached the answer of yes, leading them to refer for prosecution to the Justice Department.

See what many, including CIA figures who know her, had to say, instead of repeating a lie.

"prevailed upon the CIA to assign her husband to go to Niger to investigate whether Iraq had attempted to obtain uranium in Africa."

There is no credible evidence of this. All of the credible evidence, including that from CIA officials, says that CIA officials above Plame first selected Wilson, and THEN approached Plame for more info on him - the initial selection was in their hands, not hers.

"Unconstrained by notions of honesty, integrity, patriotism or decency Wilson wrote a op-ed for the NYT"

You scumbag. The man who was called a hero by the elected President Bush (41) for his efforts to protect Americans at the beginning of the Gulf War, where he was the last US diplomat to interact with Saddam before the war, lacked those things?}

No, you are projecting. The lesser of the right wing stoop to this sort of dishonest name-calling to spew their hate when they lack any facts to make an argument.

What actually happened - and I've heard him say this in person - is that he'd assumed his report had killed the topic until he saw the SOTU. Even then, he assumed the White House had other evidence he was unaware of at first, until learning that it had just ignored his trip.

Then, he went on a private effort for months trying to use his connections to get the government to correct the error, and only when it was clear that they were unwilling to correct the error did he do his *patriotic duty* at great cost to himself and tell the public the truth.

You are a folish scumbag for attacking a person that way who had done the right thing.

"where he claimed:
1. that he had been sent by Cheney's office (a Lie)"

He *never said that*. You are the liar.

He said - correctly - that Cheney's office had initiated the request for the investigation.

He *never said* Cheney selected him, he said - correctly that the CIA did.

This crucial 'lie' the right cites is their own lie.

"Wilson then went on a speechmaking campaign where he repeated his lies and later added another one denying that his wife played a role in his "assignment"."

See above. There is not any credible evidence that she played a role in his initial selection, only that she was asked to supply additional info after the officials had identitifed him for the mission.

"The information conveyed by Libby to Miller was not intended to damage a political opponent but to counter a misinformation campaign which was not merely damaging the President BUT WAS UNDERMINING THE WAR."

You know how you 'counter misinforation'? By attacking the false reports with the truth.

Not by outing the wife of the man who wrote the article from her CIA position, where she was working against the prolifiration of WMD, putting at risk the people she had been involved with and needlessly harming the trust of CIA agents in their own government.

Novak quoted the leaker as specifically saying Wilson's wife was "fair game".

That's not correcting misinformation - that's an attack when YOU are caught misinforming.

"To date there is is no reliable information in the public relam that anyone other than Joe Wilson "leaked" Plame's name."

The person who wrote the article exposing her position, Robert Novak, saying right within the article who had leaked it - senior administration officials - isn't "reliabe information in the public realm that anyone other than Joe Wilson "leaked" Plame's name"?

What color is the sky in your world?

The question is, can the right-wing readers face facts, or are they blind, cult indoctrinees?

Posted by: Craig at April 24, 2006 11:26 AM