Gotta Love 'Em!

The Obstructionist Party, formerly known as the Democrats, are howling for Karl Rove's head. They're howling about President Bush's as-yet-unnamed replacement for Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court. They're howling about everything.

When a newborn baby cries continually in the other room, it gets on your nerves. If it's someone else's baby, you have to hope the parents will go in and see to its needs. Otherwise, you have to tune it out. If the parent doesn't see to the needs of the infant immediately, its cries will become more strident and demanding. The parent runs the risk that, if it's a full diaper that's making the kid cry, the child might eventually fish around inside that diaper and sling something nasty upon the wall.

I tortured up this feverish metaphor yesterday, when I heard that a Far Left website is urging its myrmidons to throw feces in Karl Rove's front yard, as a protest about... something. MoveOn.orgy, I think it was, but I don't take notes in front of the TV during Brit Hume's "Special Report" show. I'm lazy, and I'm sure all three of my savvy, devoted readers can look this up on the net and verify it. What caught my attention was that these intellectual giants had published Mr. Rove's home address, and a detailed map directing these wannabe vandals to his house.

This whole Rove/Plame/Wilson affair has exhausted my patience, and bored me to tears. Like someone else's kid crying in the other room, it's infantile wailing about an unspecified discomfort. Now, Those People have resorted to literally digging in their diapers for something nasty to toss about. Every time I hear demands about "bi-partisan consensus" from the Obstructionists, it filters through to what's left of my mind as a childish cry to have their noses wiped and their diapers changed.

What follows is a story about a more up-front group of equally petulant children. Although they're regarded by the FBI as a Top Five domestic terrorist organization, some of their antics at least produce a chuckle from time to time. I was going to post a link, but the blog won't accept my clumsy HTML tags. This was far more intriguing than almost anything else, besides the proposed desecration of Karl Rove's lawn:

Kill name, PETA asks Fishkill

Animal rights group offers alternative

By Anthony Farmer - Poughkeepsie Journal ©

If Fishkill changes its name to a more animal-friendly moniker, will the striped bass swimming in the Hudson River have any idea?

PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, seems to think so.

The animal rights group based in Norfolk, Va., renewed its call, first made nearly a decade ago, for Fishkill to change its name. The group now wants the town and village to be known as FishingHurts.com, which just happens to be the Internet address for a PETA Web site dedicated to the group's "fish empathy project."
Fishkill officials weren't biting Wednesday.

The name Fishkill is actually derived from two Dutch words: Vis, for fish, and Kill, for stream or creek. PETA acknowledges the true meaning of the name, but said most who see Fishkill on a map wouldn't know that.

Implied definition

"When they think of Fishkill, they think of abusing fish and that's not the right message," said Karin Robertson, manager of PETA's fish empathy project. "By changing the name, Fishkill can send a positive message to people."

PETA argues studies show fish are smarter than most people think.

PETA also offered to donate $15,000 worth of a soy-based, faux-fish product for school students in the town if the name is changed.

But local Fishkillers said PETA's offer wasn't likely to catch on.

Resident Willa Skinner, the town historian, said the area has been known as Fishkill since it was first settled.

"I don't know what's the matter with these people," Skinner said. "I think they don't mind a lot of ridicule. "What about the other kills, like Otterkill, Beaverkill, Catskill?" she wondered.

PETA said it would welcome any town with such a name to change it to something more animal-friendly.

Supervisor Joan Pagones said the name is part of the town's heritage and is not meant to demean any form of life. She noted the community even has a disaster plan that includes animals.

"We love animals, we love fish, we love dogs, we love cats," Pagones said. "We can't change our heritage."

Pagones said she is willing to sit down with the group. Instead of changing the town's name, she hoped any discussion would focus more on things like not using animals for testing commercial products, something she supports.

"I don't even have a fur coat," she added.

PETA has cast its net before seeking towns to change their names, but has come up empty.

Two years ago, PETA offered $15,000 worth of veggie patties for the community of Hamburg, near Buffalo, to change it's name to "Veggieburg." Hamburg leaders declined.

"We haven't been taken up on any of our offers yet," Robertson admitted.