It was bad enough watching Mike Brzezinksi twist herself in knots trying to turn the Father Pfleger slip into a real-life news story, as Chris Matthews dead-panned that he didn't get why it's important, and try mightily to move on to a discussion of Scott McClellan (he ultimately gave in with a perturbed "it's your show...") But by 5 p.m., Matthews had given up the ghost (or given in to his bosses at MSNBC) and was dutifully inflating the clip (which is actually funny as hell, by the way,) into highly important campaign news. David Shuster and David Gregory have joined in on the act, gleefully forcing the issue onto the airwaves for the better part of the afternoon and early evening (it will stop momentarily when Keith comes on at 8, but will likely return full force at 9 when Abrams comes on.) I didn't even bother to check Fox News Channel, since I'm sure they've been running the clip for 24 hours straight.
The most exasperating aspect of the story is that Pfleger is not only not Barack Obama's pastor, he's not even a part of his religion, let alone Trinity Church. Earth to Pat Buchanan and Tucker Carlson: Pfleger is part of YOUR church. He's a freaking Catholic! Hence, the "Father" part. (sigh)
Worse, what Pfleger said is so uncontroversial, you'd have to be made of papier mache to be offended by it. Here's the clip. While you're watching it, think of the last two Hillary skits on "SNL." Believe me, worse things have been said about Hillary by comedians. Watch, laugh, and then let's please move the hell on:
<%
dim done
done = request.form("done")
if done = "" then
done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
<%
Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
'Response.write ("Sent to ") & email
End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
