Pat Freakin' Boone?!?

I am surrounded by Republicans at work (more on that some other time). Today one of them forwarded a message that contained the text of this letter (Warning! Link to right-wing site!) titled "CBS and 60 Minutes Modern Benedict Arnolds" written by...wait for it...Pat Boone!

Now, the last time Pat Boone crossed my mind was that Osbournes episode a few years ago where they tossed a turkey into his swimming pool (that was Pat Boone, right? And I think it was a turkey. Maybe it was some rocks. Okay, I don't remember anything about it). Other than that, I have next to zero opinion of the man beyond his reputation for hoovering the soul out of both Little Richard's and Led Zeppelin's songs.

Anyhoo, ol' Pat (are men named "Pat" ever Democrats?) wrote that letter to the editor of the right-wing magazine NewsMax. My partner in crime Jennifer wrote a reply. I edited it for clarity (though let me say, she is an incredible writer) and to take out some of the references to lighting bulbs being inserted into butts, and present below the text of that reply:

Pat Boone?!? He's still alive?? Did he also call Robert Novak a traitor for committing the treason of outing an undercover FBI agent in his opinion column? Didn't think so.

CBS is guilty only of doing their job. CBS never put naked detainees on leashes -- they just reported on the American soldiers who did. Has it finally come to the American public not wanting to know what really goes on in Iraq, but still wanting its government to do "whatever" by any means necessary? I don't think so, but if that's the case, it represents a dangerous mindset, and not one that is characteristically American. We don't tolerate abuse of prisoners at home and we shouldn't export it abroad.

Pat seems to suggest that freedom of the press should be limited, and that the government should control what is reported in the media. Dangerous.

You know, when Republicans aren't in charge, government is bad and needs to be cut; when they are in charge, suddenly government is never wrong and can go crazy with money and power, and if CBS calls them out, they are being unpatriotic. Remarkable.