Our Ignorant Dolt of the Week .... President-Elect Barack Obama

Yeah, you read that right.

Fully, we didn't expect for The Big O to pop up on our IDOTW radar until after he took office, perhaps due to some gaffe, or other, in the First 100-days, or some major policy mess down the road.

And we held out over the weekend, waiting, hoping, some other twit would come along, proving themselves IDOTW-worthy.

Dick Cheney, going on his victory tour, blabbing away about torture and stomping on The Constitution like he had dipped into the Christmas punch a little to much is in a league all by itself.

And that's part of the whole, on-going Bush Legacy Project, which we anticipate tackling between now, and when The Bush Grindhouse folds its' tent next month.

No, the choice of super-evangelist Rick Warren, for the Inaugural Invocation, rings the IDOTW bell for Obama.

And, it was just two-weeks ago, Rick Warren was our IDOTW!

First-and-foremost, and going with the whole "change" thing, we thought this bright, Ivy Leaguer would have looked at this aspect of the Swearing-In Show, remembering our thing about "the separation of church and state" and announced that he was going to run another one of those "I'm From Kansas" videos, to warm up the crowd, or maybe a new one, a montage of the history of the country, building up to a cacophonous crescendo, right to the exact moment, cutting in live, of Obama and Chief Muckity-Muck Roberts hitting their marks, Obama lying his hand down on the bible, with the backdrop of red, white and blue fireworks.

But, no, we get the Saddleback carny entering, stage right ... Make that entering, stage extremely far right, continuing his hustle of the networks, that he's the Big Cheese Bible Thumper these days.

And the networks are buying it, as we've heard, more than a few times, of Warren being referred to as "America's Pastor" which, I guess, is kind of like when the Dallas Cowboys were "America's Team", expect we drop the busty, scantily-clad cheerleaders for the Purpose Driven hustler.

If the Right Wing Jesus Freaks are in the middle of some kind of Hatfield-McCoy war, on who God is whispering to, let'em fight it out, but maybe, they can do in that infamous Saddleback Cone of Silence.

With Obama giving Warren center-stage, on his own, mega-big day, that seems like a pretty big chip to be tossing into the pot.

As, with the inclusion of Warren on Jan. 20th, he's kicking the LGBT supporters away from the table.

After all, comparing homosexuality to incest and child molestation, like, that wouldn't be offensive to anyone.

Yeah, Yeah ... This is the "reaching across the aisle" thing ... "Bipartisanship" ... Of sitting down with our enemies and talking, working through to find common ground ... Blah, Blah, Blah

It's really great that our next president likes to mix it up, that he's not afraid to step in shit, and then, clean his own shoes ...

But, Rick Warren?

America's Pastor? ...

Please, Shoot Me!

Last week, on Countdown', Keith Olbermann talked with Rob Boston, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Boston summed it up with a killer line;

Well, Warren, to me, is—he has a great P.R. machine. And he has people thinking he‘s a moderate, but he‘s really just Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt. And we don‘t need that again. You know, with the sort of passing of the guard of some of the old religious right leader, some of them have died, others of whom are sort of in semi-retirement, a lot of us are hoping for a more moderate religious voice to come to bear. And we‘re not getting that.

Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt ...

Well, whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama wears Hawaiian shirts, he's wearing The Garlic's "Ignorant Dolt of the Week" crown.

And both these guys are big-time, PR-savvy ...

Can't we see a "schedule conflict" or, some other excuse pop up, knocking Warren out-of-the box?

C'mon Guys! ... Get a glove! ... Get in the game, here!


Bonus Obama-Warren IDOTW Riffs

YouTube - Warren: The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers

YouTube - Rick Warren Endorses Prop 8

YouTube - RIck Warren on gays, their immaturity and desire for multiple partners

Brilliant at Breakfast: Sorry, President-Elect Obama, you blew it big time with this one

Attytood: R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means, Barack

Joe Sudbay (DC): Rick Warren is a major fail and a total affront

Blue Texan: In a Surprising Development, Barney Frank Objects to Incest Accusations

Joan Walsh: Disappointed by Rick Warren

Mike Madden: How the hell did Rick Warren get inauguration tickets? Barack Obama knows liberals are upset he picked the conservative evangelical preacher to pray at the inauguration. And he doesn't care


Late Breaking

Think Progress: Warren’s church removes anti-gay statements from website

John Aravosis (DC): Rick Warren pulls anti-gay language from his Web site

TowleRoad: As Obama Bakes, Rick Warren Controversy Simmers

Pam Spaulding: Lowery, Rhue speak out on Warren debacle; Saddleback homophobe to keynote at King Memorial Service

Our Ignorant Dolt of the Week ... Rick Warren!

As usual, we had a few different candidates this past week, doing their darnedest, vying, yearning, longing, to be named The Garlic's Ignorant Dolt of the Week.

Take the Turd Blossom, for instance.

Along with attempting to pass of the rotted, fetid eight-years of the Bush Grindhouse as freshly-caught fish, he's planning on writing a book and "naming all the Bush haters".

Here's a tip, Son-of-the-Golden Cock Ring, it might be easier just to ask people to raise their hands, of those who can, at minimum, stomach The Commander Guy.

And his old, Rovian ways are working on at least one person.

Chris Wallace, of Faux News.

Wallace bought passage on the S.S. Bush Legacy Restoration Barge, dropping to his knees for the Grindhouse.

From Think Progress;

Last Monday, at a screening of Ron Howard’s new film “Frost/Nixon,” Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace vociferously defended President Bush against criticism by Howard that Bush has abused the office of the presidency in a way similar to President Richard Nixon. “Richard Nixon’s crimes were committed purely in the interest of his own political gain,” said Wallace. Wallace claimed that it was a “gross misreading of history” to say that Bush abused his power “for pure political self preservation” like Nixon did.

You whore yourself like that Chris, just for a "special exit interview" with Darth Vader?

Like that's going to be some earth-shattering, breaking news?

Did you miss the Little Scooter's trial?

Cheney must be sizing you up to take Little Timmy Russert's place, to feed his propaganda to, without the worry of any kind of push back.

All fine efforts, but the IDOTW has to go to the Purpose-Driven-Carny, Rick Warren.

I guess, since hustling the networks into doing an infomercial, for his "Blazing Saddleback" event during the campaign, complete with the mysterious, magical, "Cone of Silence", has him, boldly grabbing the baton from that other television preacher/God's Ninja, Pat Robertson, and issuing off death warrants for our enemies.

WARREN ENDORSES HANNITY'S WARMONGERING...

Pastor Rick Warren has a reputation for being far more stable and grounded than religious right leaders and TV preachers like Pat Robertson, but it's worth remembering that he's not exactly a moderate.

Last night, on Fox News, Sean Hannity insisted that United States needs to "take out" Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Warren said he agreed. Hannity asked, "Am I advocating something dark, evil or something righteous?" Warren responded, "Well, actually, the Bible says that evil cannot be negotiated with. It has to just be stopped.... In fact, that is the legitimate role of government. The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers. Not good-doers. Evildoers."

Well, I guess, if it's a Purpose-Driven political assassination, than it's cool with the Big Guy, Upstairs.

Here's the transcript of the exchange, from The Wonk Room;

HANNITY: Can you talk to rogue dictators? Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, wants to wipe Israel off the map, is seeking nuclear weapons.

WARREN: Yes.

HANNITY: I think we need to take him out.

WARREN: Yes.

HANNITY: Am I advocating something dark, evil or something righteous?

WARREN: Well, actually, the Bible says that evil cannot be negotiated with. It has to just be stopped. And I believe…

HANNITY: By force?

WARREN: Well, if necessary. In fact, that is the legitimate role of government. The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers. Not good-doers. Evildoers.

HANNITY: I’m just gotten, thanks to my wife, who you know, you know, been reading the Old Testament. Because as a good Catholic growing up, I studied more the New Testament.

WARREN: Just ignored that part.

HANNITY: I ignored the Old Testament. But what about King David? What about the — all the battles, all the conflict, you know, going back - - you know, Abraham — Adam and Eve and their children, going forward?

WARREN: The point is, there are some things worth dying for. There’s no doubt about that. And I would die for my family. I would die for my freedom. I would die for this country.

HANNITY: If somebody broke into your house, you would be justified to kill them?

WARREN: I would be justified to protect my family. Absolutely.

HANNITY: And if it took killing them?

WARREN: Absolutely.

HANNITY: But it’s not murder at that point?

WARREN: No. Murder is not self-defense.

Perhaps, Warren can plead insanity, since he was in discussion with The Royal Nitwit, Hannity, but I think its something more than that.

With the transition of power, from The Bush Grindhouse, to Obama, there must be some rumblings amongst the Bible Thumpers.

Who's going to lead the eyes-closed rabble of the Republican Far Right through these next four-years of darkness.

You can't just talk about doing good deeds, doing the Lords work.

No, you have to define, interpret the Lords work, mix in a little blood and guts, do a little Jimmy Cagney and talk about mowing down all those dirty rats.

Sorry, but attempting to consecrate the Bush Doctrine into a modern day Holy Grail, that takes a lot more moxie than just huckstering the networks, and trying to sell yourself as one of the good Bible Thumpers.

Nosireebob! ... That only gets the purpose-and-killing-driven Rick Warren the crown of our Ignorant Dolt of the Week


Bonus Purpose-Driven IDOTW Riffs

Melissa McEwan: Quote of the Day

Spencer Ackerman: Religious Wars, There’s No Reason Why They Sent You To Die

Think Progress - Warren: Bush’s ‘Peace Award Was Not About Peace’

Thomas Schaller: The attention-driven Warren, Book III

The Raw Story - Ron Howard: Jon Stewart should do Bush exit interview

The Gawker: Chris Wallace Defends Bush Against Mean Ron Howard

Robertson May Have, Inadvertently, Caused Hajj Stampede Deaths ...Was Working On New Material For Bush Video Blitz, Testing New Curses and Condemnations

Breaking News! Robertson Held For Questioning In Falwell Death; Threats Against Chavez, Sharon Make 700 Club Founder 'Person of Interest'

Blazing Saddlebacks

To borrow and take liberties with the Mel Brooks classic;

"How 'bout more questions, Mr. Warren ..."

"I'd say you had enough! ..."

In a nutshell, Obama, and Rick Warren, at the much ballyhooed Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, seemed comfortable with each other and engaged in honest conversation (more so than "answer this" in thirty-seconds, or less, much as in the "Lightening Round" Stumblin' Bumblin John McCain had), perhaps on more of a considered, thoughtful level, a sort of low key "My Dinner with Andre", minus the food.

Something that could, just as easily, been broadcast on PBS, rather then the cable channels.

McCain?

Pure Faux News, screaming kirons, and equally empty rhetoric.

Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny teed up every-and-all Right Wing Freak Show/GOP talking points and whacked them around the church.

The only thing missing was having the Dead Campaign Express bus parked, on-stage, behind him.

Warren didn't seem as interested, via his body language, in getting in an intellectual discussion with Arizona John, tossing the questions to Stumblin Bumblin' Johnny, like sardines to a trained seal.

If you didn't know before the Saddleback event, you knew it a few minutes into the McCain segment;

JOHN MCCAIN WAS A POW IN THE VIETNAM WAR!

McCain fired out the old POW tales as if there were a panel of judges, who would score them based on his detail and animation.

He blustered the ever-growing-tiresome babble about chasing Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell (because "he knows how", he assured us; Surely, that gives the evanglists a thrill up the leg, no doubt, the basic, core, Good vs. Evil bone).

This boast, from a man who says he needs to sleep-in, in the morning, to be sharp.

If you are gay or lesbian under a McCain administration?

Second-class citizens, "My Friends" ... If I have to, I'll get a Constitutional Amendment, so get lost ...

Stem Cell Research?

Stumblin' Bumblin' John wants us to wait another 20-or-30-years, for Skin Cell research to blossom.

And, if you are a moderate or liberal member of the Supreme Court, specifically, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens?

Keep a suitcase packed, McCain, without hesitation, expressed his disgust for you.

As to audience reactions, applause, standing ovations, let's not lose site of the fact that Saddleback Church is in the heart of Orange County, in Southern California, where fountains there bubble and froth the semen of Ronald Reagan and John Wayne (for whom the airport is named after).

You could stand in the middle of Los Alamitos Boulevard throwing rocks all day and not hit a Democrat.

Cone of Silence or Coneheads?

While the MSM and Talkin Heads are gushing on how great McCain did, how he won the evening, it was anything but.

After ripping off a Top Ten Cloves List this morning, around the "Code of Silence" that Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny was said to be tucked away in, so as not to hear the questions and answers, numerous posts have been bubbling up today that the "Code of Silence" was a Code of Scam ... That Stumblin' Bumblin John McCain wasn't even in the building, but in a limo (equipped, possibly, with a television ... Hmmm);

FiveThirtyEight: Pastor Warren Contradicts Self on 'Cone of Silence'

furiousxxgeorge: No Cone of Silence

Having watched the telecast, and hearing Warren's references to "The Cone of Silence", I don't recall seeing any cut-away shots of McCain, sitting in a booth, sweating, ala Herbert Stempel on the gameshow "Twenty-One".

No shots of a janitor's closet, or non-descript backstage door, perhaps with a handmade, handwritten sign hanging on it, indicating "Cone of Silence".

No ice cream cones, no snow cones, no orange roadwork cones ...No Coneheads in the audience

No shots of any type of cones, whatsoever.

And, check this post out.

Cathy, from Cincinnati noticed, during the broadcast, a rather odd, but telling exchange, seemingly giving a tip that Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny knew the questions in advance.

And for those of you who need a more authoritative, MSM voice, even Andre Mitchell brought up the prospects of McCain's cheating.

Now, just a few hours ago, Rev. Warren vouches for McCain (which in doing so, he admits that his opening, on-air, statement of McCain being in the "Cone of Silence" was not true);

But at 8 p.m. ET, as Warren said that, McCain was actually not in the building. He was just leaving his hotel, with his motorcade arriving at the church nearly a half hour into the event. A. Larry Ross, a spokesman for Warren, says McCain then went directly into the holding room they dubbed the “cone of silence” (in reality, a room with no TV or audio).

When asked if McCain overheard anything, Charlie Black, a McCain adviser who was with him at the time, told CNN: "We were in motorcade until 5:30 p.m. ET; then a holding room in another building with no TV."

Warren said, “I trust the integrity of both” candidates, and said he “knew they would abide by the rules.” He joked McCain may not have been in the cone of silence, but “he was in the cone of a Secret Service motorcade”.

Oh ... Charlie Black is vouching for McCain ...

Perhaps in the same way Charlie Black vouched for Ahmad Chalabi?

That just wraps it all up ...

I guess we don't have to question this again, at all ...

If this turns out to be the case, that McCain, and/or someone on his campaign staff, was taking notes, then the whole event was nothing but an overblown, self-flagellating, farce.

And for all the hype, in just this, sort-of, first head-to-head match, it showed how truly frightening it would be to have McCain as the President, of anything, let alone the country.

Yes, another shout out;

Help Me Mr. Wizard!


Bonus Jesus Saves, But McCain Wins Links

Transcript: Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency

Jay McDonough: Saddleback, Schmaddleback

Creature: Saddleback Spin

John Cole: High Comedy at Saddleback Church