A**hole of the Year

So very many candidates from which to choose ...

from the Political Arena: Harry Reid, John Murtha, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi;

from the World of so-called Entertainment: Michael Moore, Sean Penn, Rosie O'Donnell, Janeane Garofalo;

from down the street: the damn idiot tourist who cut us off not once but twice, coming within inches of scrunching us and had the audacity to wave one-fingeredly. Back atcha, Bastard. And to your laughing Bitch, too.

After considerable thought, the award goes to an asshole in the Theater of Journalism:     William Arkin

Mr. Arkin is a regular military affairs columnist for the Los Angeles Times, a commentator for MSNBC; a former Greenpeacenik, and a veteran of four years in the Army (1974 to 1978); many of his bylines from the past two decades described him as a "military intelligence analyst" during his service.

What makes Mr Arkin worthy of the title?

He is the author of such incredible crap as:

"The Troops Also Need to Support the American People"

Highlights:

"I’m all for everyone expressing their opinion, even those who wear the uniform of the United States Army. But I also hope that military commanders took the soldiers aside after the story and explained to them why it wasn’t for them to disapprove of the American people…

These soldiers should be grateful that the American public, which by all polls overwhelmingly disapproves of the Iraq war and the President’s (Bush) handling of it, do still offer their support to them, and their respect.

We support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?…

But it is the United States and instead this NBC report is just an ugly reminder of the price we pay for a mercenary - oops sorry, volunteer - force that thinks it is doing the dirty work."

A Comment from DonL:

"just returned from my mercenary service in Iraq and I'm trying to adjust to life without obscene amounts of amenities. Thank you Mr. Arkin for helping me put this chapter of my life in perspective.

For those who haven't been, as near as I can tell, the amenities consisted of a 10 X 10 room in a trailer under the flight path of F-16s, a one block walk to the shower and bathroom, a painfully slow internet connection, and a BX that stocked clothing in XXS and XL Short.

Oh...there was the opportunity to work with the most dedicated and honorable people I've ever met."

AND:    The Angry and the Intolerant Speak Out


Uncle Jimbo over at BlackFive writes it like I feel it:  A Hearty F*uck You