The Big Question

Is Bill Wilson stupid, or does he think I am?

Bill Wilson is president of American For Limited Government, and I get periodic e-mails from him and a few other wild-eyed sorts on the right that I even occasionally read, if I need something to lighten my mood. This one is about his organization supporting Sen. David "Diapers" Vitter's demand that Obama confirm in writing that ACORN (a periodic whipping boy for the right) will not be involved in the census.

Americans for Limited Government today called upon its 400,000 members nationwide to support Senator David Vitter's (R-LA) moves to block the nomination of Robert Groves as Census Bureau Director until Barack Obama responds to the Senator's request to confirm "in writing that ACORN will in no fashion be involved in gathering data for the 2010 census."

Vitter's request to the White House came in a June 25th email. The email also asked that the President confirm "in writing that he will not direct the Census Bureau to use 'statistical adjustment,' also called sampling, to determine the numbers for the 2010 census." To date, Obama has not responded to Vitter's email. Nor has Groves responded to similar requests from the Senator.

"This President has a long and tawdry track record as 'ACORN's Senator,' to quote Investor's Business Journal," said Bill Wilson, president of Americans for Limited Government. "Now, with rumors rife that he intends to hand over census-taking to his former cronies at ACORN, Senator Vitter's questions are not only legitimate, they are vital to the sanctity of the census process."

This is only the first three paragraphs, and if you've been following this at all, you can see how full of lies and distortions it is. All it says is a rehash of the babblings of such perspicacious -- and undeniably truthful, just ask them -- wingnut mouthpieces as Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, World Net Daily, and a few more whose names I have mercifully forgotten. In fact, the only kernel of truth I can find here is that Sen. Vitter sent an e-mail to the president, and that hasn't been independently confirmed.

You may wonder how I got on this e-mail list. So do I.

(It's worth noting here that I wasn't getting outraged e-mails from Wilson when Bush II was trampling the Constitution or doling out welfare to various well-connected corporations. Wonder why?)