September 17, 2004

• that looks to be true, at least the part about the 10 kids.... here's from the herald-dispatch, huntington, W.V., reporting on a july campaign stop: The Phil Parlock family of Barboursville - father, mother and 10 children - likewise made the trip as a family. Rachel, 13, said it was the second time she had seen Bush. "It was really good that we got the president on the 4th of July," she said. Her older sister, Pam, 22, said she has seen Bush so many times she has lost count. "You hope to get closer each time. Hopefully someday we'll get a handshake," she said. Pam Parlock said she belongs to the Marshall Young Republicans, and she could have sat with them, but she wanted to be with her family, even if it cost her the handshake. She is a member of the West Virginia Army National Guard and was called to duty last year. The 1257th Transportation Co., to which she belongs, spent some time at West Point, but it never went overseas, she said. Alex Parlock, 11, said he shook Bush's hand four years ago during a campaign visit at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington. Alex said he was sitting on his father's shoulders and wearing a Bush mask when then-candidate Bush saw him and shook his hand.
• I can't decide whether Mr. Parlock is very clever, or very stupid. Ten kids. Amazing. There's no doubt his guys can swim upstream.
• One of those little pods is going to grow up to be the next Karl Rove. It's one thing to not be the perfect parent. Maybe you work all day, don't play with the kids, feed them junk food, stick them in front of the tv all day long. But to actively teach them to lie and to encourage it? To set a dishonest example, and get them to participate...to make it a fucking regular family activity? 10 times! He made 10 new people and now he's teaching them all to be assholes! "Winning is the only thing that matters kids. Lie cheat and use people to get what you want."
• Beautiful!
• This example indicates (at least to me) that the Democrats (of which I am one) are losing the battle for the mediascape (re: the Swift Boat debacle, the CBS "forged documents" controversy, etc.). and the only remedy I see for this is: databases, paid political operatives, and rapid media response teams at every major rally and event. Here's how it will probably have to work: Local Democratic operatives will scan the crowds and record the names and AFATK "protest history" of anyone (Democrat & Republican) who shows up at a rally or event to counter-protest. Those names will be vetted through a database consisting of donation history (like opensecrets.org has compiled), party affiliation, Lexis-Nexus (for past "photo-op" and media contact history), and other publicly available information. If any names raise a flag, a rapid media-response member will be dispatched to wherever the protester is standing. The response guy won't do or say anything or in any way interfere with the protester, unless a member of the media presents himself. At that point, the RR person will step forward and "background" the media person to make sure they know exactly who it is they are interviewing or photographing. No overt intimdation, no attempts to breach anyone's right to free speech, simply a real-time response to these sorts of guerilla-style activities. Harsh? Yes. Bordering on intimidation? Perhaps, but you can be assured that local law-enforcement is already doing this (which is in no way to be taken as an apologia, merely a precedent). Since every public gathering has become an politico-theatrical arena and opportunity to influence the media, I see no other way to deal with the kind of thing. (Jesus, I almost feel like a damned fascist for even thinking about this...)
• I, for one, welcome our omniscient Democratic overseers.
• Heaven forbid anything worse happens at a Republican rally. Of course to get into Republican events you have to sign a loyalty oath so they can probably sue people who decent or throw them into a millitary jail without charging them or something...
• Throwing people in jail simply for voicing their opinion? You may be right jccalhoun.
• this is reaon why the 3 strikes law should be enforced universally.
• and that is why you should always use the preview button.
• I've been referring to Dubya as "Our Glorious Leader" for over a year now. Is that the equivalent of a loyalty oath?
• did you guys hear about john prather, the professor who wore a kerry T-shirt to a bush rally and vice-versa? interesting little experiment, i think you can guess the outcome.
• This WP article has a picture of him. Sadly, Prather doesn't seem to have a web presence.
• The fact that Parlock has had two similiar run-ins in the past reminds me of a spiritual axiom I once heard: If you run into three jerks in one day, its time to take a look at yourself.
• If you run into three jerks in one day, its time to take a look at yourself. Step one: Are you wandering lost in the schmuck district? Ask for directions already!
• I superimposed the grey shirt kid from the one photograph onto the blue shirt kid on the other photograph and found they don't line up. This is an obvious forgery.
• nomen: bhwaaaaaaaaaaaha!
• MoFi trumps MeFi. Film at eleven. Thanks for this, chriss.
• This kind of behaviour is just disgusting. I wish it constituted sufficient grounds to challenge in a court of law this idiot's capacity as a parent, but it doesn't. Child abuse of this kind can only lead to more right-wing abuses of democracy.
• What a sad sack of shit. Mr. Parlock: STOP HAVING CHILDREN, YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKING SHITBRAINED BUMPKIN-ASS TROLLFUCK.