When Comedy Meets Tragedy: Barack Obama As The Anti-Christ

OK, this video is hilarious. This video claims to feature only "facts." This video belongs in the Creation Museum among the Dinosaurs playing with Adam and Eve. This video is a convoluted attempt to smear Barack Obama.

This video is also dangerously provocative to the self-righteous, to the uneducated and to the brain dead people who are packing guns at town hall meetings or standing outside the meetings with scribbled signs like "Death to Obama, Michelle and her two stupid kids." This video is also insulting to the memory of Jesus who would probably destroy his loving image by throttling the guy who made it.

Here with commentary after the fold.

Get all that? If not, play it again and take notes:

1. Aramaic is not just as ancient as Hebrew. Aramaic is akin to Hebrew but not exactly like it. Isaiah might have spoken Aramaic, but that's highly doubtful since Aramaic did not gain prominence until after the Babylonian captivity (centuries after Isaiah).

2. The video was fraudulent from start to finish.

3. The producer of the video was afraid to identify himself.

4. Hebrews at the time did not have the concepts of heaven, hell, or Satan that we have today. (BTW, in Greek Satan - saitan - meant only a spirit as well as daemon -demon)

5. Scholars (Biblical textual analysts) would dispute the validity of any of the video's "facts."

6. The video was not edited, especially obvious is the misspelling of "heights".

Since July 28, the video has had over 30,000 views. Not bad. The only thing missing that would have added cache to it would have been a name with an "Rev." in front of it. That always gets the rubes every time. How long are we going to put up with charlatans and Gantries who will do anything for their own agenda, religious or not? Who will lie, cheat, steal, murder while making others lie, cheat, steal and murder. We've put up with them for millennia.

I wish we could shut them up, but then that would not be treating them as we would have them treat us.

Just a thought.

He's Just One Bad Apple! We're Not ALL Like That!

Yeah?

PROVE IT!

I know the "one bad apple" argument. I also know that it's valid. I've been caught up in the same defense myself. But the people who have been protesting against Barack Obama's attempt at better health care have been the worst display of racism, the worst display of blind hatred, the worst display of stupidity and the worst of all that mankind considers... the worst. Conservatives have conjured up a barrage of the most vacant-minded morons ever to disgrace the nation.

Sarah Palin brought the worst in her campaign rallies, but like Pandora's box, she couldn't put them back in (or, like a spoiled child with her toys, she didn't want to). The "Death to Obama, Michelle and her two stupid girls" has gone viral over the net and hit people very hard. But a hastily scribbled sign is not the focus of the matter. The real shock came in finding out that the protester got away with nary a wrist slap. And since President Obama has gotten more death threats than any other President, the fact that this is the first time a President's family has been threatened should be of national concern.

But it won't be - at least to some people. The ones who need to hate other people.

From The Washington Independent:

[A commentor was cycling past the protester in question]

I was stuck at the stoplight right next to where he was standing at the entrance to the community college and I yelled to him that he was an idiot. He yelled back, “Obama’s a Nazi.” I shouted back, “my father’s family was murdered by Nazi’s and Obama is NOT a Nazi.” He shouted back, “Obama’s a Nazi.” The light turned green after that and off I drove into parking lot for the town hall.

Would you invite the man to have an actual discourse on health care reform? More pertinent: would you want that man anywhere near a voting booth? Would you want a mindless parrot effecting your life in any way?

Dan Savage (Savage Love) got a comment on the "return" of Rick Santorum to the political scene:

I look forward to the day when I can read that you have AIDS and I will pray for you to die very very slowly..You definately are a scumbag and a lowlife faggot...

I heard this kind of rhetoric over 20 years ago.
I commented on the comment, trying to console Dan:

This guy didn't have the panache, like Bette Davis as Regina Giddons (The Little Foxes): "I hope you die. I hope you die SOON. I'll be WAITING for you to die!" No panache (and probably not the phenomenal wardrobe, either). But beware, Dan. There are more guys like this around than many people think.

From Crooks and Liars

This is, of course, a complete cop-out [that crazy people would do crazy things anyway]. It ignores, in fact, the cold reality that violence, even by the mentally ill, does not occur in a vacuum. When people become the subject of a relentless campaign of demonization -- especially by the use of grotesque smears that make them out to be monsters and provably false "facts" that have the concrete effect of unhinging people from reality -- it will only be a matter of time before the lethal violence breaks out.

I agree. There will be violence. The cause, however, will be stupidity brought on by hatred.

Let's face it. Hate is man's doumbest emotion: it's negative, it has no civility and is counter to survival. Hatred accomplishes nothing. Pure hatred puts out conveluted premises like the one that Obama is the AntiChrist:

Is Obama the AntiChrist?
by Daniel Wallace

More than one Christian friend has suggested to me, in all seriousness, that President Obama is the Antichrist. I haven’t taken such suggestions too seriously, but recently a video has shown up on Youtube that seems to claim that Jesus identified Obama as the Antichrist. Some Christians have been startled by this (and the video is wildly popular) and believe that the evidence is compelling. The video is found here. (or see below.)

So now we get to the most delicious part of this post: how religion is detemined to spread its faith... and its prejudices. Note on the video: "I'm reporting the facts - you decide." This is lifted straight from FOX News . Also, it's absolutely false to say that Aramaic is more ancient than Hebrew; the video doesn't really cite Biblical scholars; many Greek words have more than one meaning. There at least 500 years between Isaiah and Jesus. There are 1500 years between the last book of the Bible (probably Revelations) and the thousands of translations we now have.

And right-wing pundits have to take some blame. First and foremost is the O'Reilly/Tiller episode. (Note: Family Research Council is actually giving him an AWARD for it!!).

From Huffington Post

On Sean Hannity's Fox News show Wednesday night, conservative commentator Ann Coulter said that Ezekiel Emanuel is on her "death list."

Emanuel, a medical ethicist and oncologist whose brother Rahm is the White House chief of staff, is also a senior adviser on health care to President Obama. After Hannity read a quote from Ezekiel and said it meant there would be euthanasia in the new health care bill, Coulter responded: "Totally ironically, Zeke Emanuel is on my death list. Hold the applause. I'm going to be on the death panel."

Bad Apples? They're a good part of our apple orchard. They're hanging from every media tree, every Christofasicst tree and almost every military tree.

And they want to infect the whole grove.

The Rise In Militias: Palin's "Rallymen" Coming Home To Roost!

According to wikipedia.com, a town hall meeting is "an informal public meeting derived from the traditional town meetings of New England. Similarly to those meetings, everybody in a community is invited to attend, voice their opinions, and hear the responses from public figures and elected officials, although attendees rarely vote on an issue."

It sounds so...civilized, doesn't it? Certainly the furthest description from some of the meetings occurring this month. The rhetoric is misinformed and extremely crude, the people unabashedly unruly and the discourse has turned into a scream-fest against something. (Sidenote: ever noticed that the screamer is always against something, but never for anything?).

I'm afraid to say this, but these meetings are beginning to look like Sarah Palin's old campaign rallies. And from her latest rhetoric, it looks like she's enjoying the honor: her take on health care gave her the chance to coin the phrase "death panel." She also stated:

Rep. Michele Bachmann highlighted the Orwellian thinking of the president’s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel..."

What she really proved to the public, however, was that she didn't write her statement. Can you imagine Sarah Palin (much less Michele Bachmann) using the term "Orwellian"?

No. I didn't think so either.

Of course, she's got the GOP's clown (sorry) crown prince Michael Steele in her corner, she has the conservative seal of approval:

When you’re talking about panels that are going to be imposed, that will be making life and death decisions, that will be making decisions about whether or not you get health care or don’t receive health care. I think that’s perfectly appropriate. (On Fox News with

So what hath Sarah Palin and her "Rallymen" (hey, I can coin a term too!) wrought? The feeling is something akin to a Pandora's box of hatred and bigotry: idiotic "birthers," Christofascists and now - militias.

From Southern Poverty Law Center:

One federal agency estimates that 50 new militia training groups have sprung up in less than two years. Sales of guns and ammunition have skyrocketed amid fears of new gun control laws, much as they did in the 1990s.

The situation has many authorities worried. Militiamen, white supremacists, anti-Semites, nativists, tax protesters and a range of other activists of the radical right are cross-pollinating and may even be coalescing. In the words of a February report from law enforcement officials in Missouri, a variety of factors have combined recently to create "a lush environment for militia activity."

"Variety of factors," like an African American President who "pals around with terrorists" and proposes a health care plan that is "downright evil."

Yesterday, a town hall scene was broadcast of a woman being taken away by security from a town hall meeting. However, according to the cameraman of this video:

This is what actually happened at the event. The news only showed the woman being escorted away by the police. What happened was the women walked in with signs, the crowd booed and yelled at the women. The women rolled up their posters and put them down. A photographer/reporter approached the woman on the end and wanted to see what the poster was. As the woman went to show the photographer/reporter what the poster was, a man from the bleachers stood up and snatched the poster from the woman and photographer/reporter. As the woman went to retrieve her poster the police stepped in and escorted the woman and the man from the building.

The poster was not of Obama, it was not pro health care, the poster that was taken from the woman and wrinkled up into a ball was of Rosa Parks.

From an argument over an unknown poster to the rise of militias, the country is witnessing a path to civil war, riots, or anarchy.

Who will fire the first shot? My money's on a wacked out right-wingnut.

The Best Offense: Bankrupt The Hate

Not to Equate FOTF with the KKK, but...

Just how much money does it cost to hate someone? Hate groups large and small - all of them - have bills to pay. From printing fliers at Kinko's, to slick commercials with actors talking ominously about a "coming storm," groups trying desperately to discriminate against someone have to pay money that could be put to better use. Most groups fostering discrimination depend upon the kindness of their members for donations and budget accordingly. Unexpected expenditures, however, can be ruinous.

Just ask Ron Edwards of the IKA - Imperial Klans of America.

The Southern Poverty Law Center launched a suit against them for their brutal assault of a teenager at a Kentucky county fair. The jury awarded the SPLC and their client $2.5 million. (See video below)

Looks like Kinko's won't be getting the IKA's business for a while.

On to other groups not as violent, but more powerful. James Dobson's Focus On The Family is evidently losing money.

Silver lining of the recession:
Focus on the Family is broke

by: AFY_Joe
Monday, August 10, 2009 at 2:03:00 PM EDT

These are hard economic times. Jobs are scarce, health insurance rates are skyrocketing, and many companies and organizations are hemorrhaging money.

Fortunately, one of those organizations is Focus on the Family. Here's a letter I received in the mail this weekend:

"Right now we're facing a serious budget shortfall that threatens our ability to reach out to parents, families and married couples who count on our help. Income is down nearly $6 million from what we expected and planned for this year."

$6 million!! Will Dr. Dobson have to sell his "special" pink velour sports jacket, the one he wears EVERY Christmas and has displayed behind glass (of course!) at the FOTF Center?

Hardly. Focus On The Family's income is approximately $180 million per year. But thank you, Joe, for pointing out that FOTF feels threatened financially. That feeling - of financially shaky ground - should continue for a long time. Now, it might be unseemly to wish anyone financial ruin, but there are certainly worse ways to wage a war. Dobson has declared war on America's progressives for over three decades, surviving most battles with its armaments: the Bible ...and money.

Ditto the Mormon Church (LDS)

But sooner or later, the money has to run out. Debts have to be paid. And in tough economic times, fewer corporations are able to donate or give "in kind" services. How many Prop 8 battles will there be before LDS members say "Enough! We're not made of money!" Another view: while the Catholic Church was also tied to Prop 8, it was for far less an amount ($3 million) than LDS ($30 million).Perhaps $1 billion in child abuse lawsuit payouts had something to do with that. Fifteen years ago, they could have given far more financial support to "save" marriage.

Even the support for "Creationism" is losing money: seeing dinosaurs romp with Adam and Eve is no longer on the "to do" list for the Christian family. Kentucky's famous Creation Museum (Answers In Genesis Foundation) is battling creditors and the Dinosaur Adventure Land*, a creationist theme park in Florida, has closed its doors.

the Pensacola News Journal:

[Kent Hovind] was found guilty in November 2006 on 58 counts, including failure to pay employee taxes and making threats against investigators.

The conviction culminated 17 years of Hovind sparring with the IRS. Saying he was employed by God and his ministers were not subject to payroll taxes, he claimed no income or property.

Does it take money to make hate groups and Christofascists lose money? Some money, yes, but not quite as much as people think. As the situation with Southern Poverty Law Center proves, courage and tenacity are just as necessary as lawyers' fees. Keeping the battles going, speaking out, protesting, emphasizing (and, yes, publicizing) every death, every bashing, every form of discrimination will keep them spending money in their defense.

Okay, so what's the tie-in? So these groups are losing money. Will their bankruptcies help win the culture war and stop the hate, stop the discrimination, stop them from proselytizing against us?

Maybe. Just remember: when it comes to money, anything's possible.

* Wikipedia: Kent E. Hovind (born January 15, 1953) is an American Young Earth creationist and conspiracy theorist famous for his creation science seminars that aim to convince listeners to reject modern theories of evolution, geophysics, and cosmology in favor of biblical creation. Hovind's views are criticized by the scientific community at large and even some fellow Young Earth creationist organizations like Answers in Genesis.

Glenn Beck By Numbers: The True Story (We Think)

Glenn Beck once described himself as a "rodeo clown." Unfortunately, I don't think he's one tenth as courageous. Foolhardy, yes, courageous, no. He once described his radio show as "The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment." Entertainment is usually a diversion from reality. That's why we've made a religion out of entertainment (and an entertainment out of religion, but that's a whole different rant). Beck's shows may be entertaining to some, but "enlightening"? Many of the people who tune in to Beck do not want to be enlightened. Do they want to hear something fresh and new, an idea that has a small spark of creativity?

Of course not. They want to hear Glenn Beck put his spin on the things they've heard from Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh and the like. But because Glenn Beck is not physically Coulter, Ingraham, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, etc. they'd like to think that he's "enlightening."

Beck's latest statement about Barack Obama being a racist has firestormed as much controversey as Obama's handling of the Prof. Gates case. When you see the video below (on, of course, FOX and Friends), notice that Beck makes his statement quite matter-of-factly and bases his entire premise on one incident. That is not "enlightenment" as much as it is, in itself, racism. His program has since then, lost three large sponsors. As one commentor to a Matthew Iglesias post said:

It’s almost as if the public’s appetite for right-wing sociopaths has limits: ...

Even so, Beck has resolved NEVER to recant. This resolve would be admirable if it were not for the fact that many of his listeners have taken it to be a kind of "unltra rightwing manifesto."

From The Daily Kos:

I went on the Huffington Post this morning and I was shocked with what I saw on FOX News Glenn Beck's show. He has the speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi. He jokes about putting poison in her drink. Ok, now he's gone too far. He's inciting violence towards a public official. His ilk are getting people hurt in townhalls across the country, and where is the local media in all of this? Not doing a damn thing of course?

O.K., so Glen Beck likes to think of himself in terms of an "enlightening clown." An agent provocateur. A common man with an eccentric bent. A man who feels free to show all his emotions simply because he has a right to that freedom. He thinks he talks to the American heartland (whatever that may be) from the American heart.

Glenn Beck thinks he's so many things, so let's spotlight some moments in his life and see what we can come up with, shall we?

• Born February 10, 1964, Mount Vernon, Washington
• Raised a Roman Catholic.
• Both mother and one brother committed suicide.
• Another sibling had a fatal heart attack.
• Publisher of Fusion Magazine, a 16-page monthly magazine based on Beck's radio program, from whence it gets its name, the Beck program motto being: The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment.
• Beck took several college courses, but never chose a major and never graduated college.
• In 1999, Beck acknowledged a long disenchantment with Catholicism and converted to Mormonism (LDS - or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
• Beck is an admitted recovering alcoholic.
• Before his television career, Beck hosted Christian radio, rock radio and country radio - all at the same station.
• The Glenn Beck Program first aired on WFLA in Tampa, Fla.
• In 2006, CNN picked Beck to host a news-commentary show called Headline Prime.
• In 2008, Beck won the Marconi Radio Award for Network Syndicated Personality of the Year.
• On October 16, 2008 it was announced that Glenn Beck would join the Fox News Channel
• Beck is a fervent opponent of gun control
• He opposes stem cell research
• He opposes euthanasia
• He favors pro-life
  

Same-sex marriage?

From News Hounds

Lowering his head with dramatic intensity, he said, “I believe this case [Iowa Supreme Court Decision on same-sex marriage] is actually about going into churches and going in and attacking churches and saying you can't teach anything else. When you say marriage – civil unions is different – when you say marriage must be defined as this, well then you also have to go into the schools.”

There is no doubt that Beck incites anger and hatred because, if he didn't we would not be reading the next screed, by someone who actually believed that Beck had gone "soft" on right wing issues. These people are poised to wreak havoc and violence at the August Townhall meetings:

Glenn Beck Loses Edge, Becomes Raging Hippy-Homosexual

July 07th, 2008 | Category: Communism, Liberal Democ-Rats, Terrorism, Truth

CNN’s Glenn Beck has once again shown why CNN, aka the Communist News Network, is dropping like a stone in the ratings war against the defenders of information freedom, FOX News. As you probably know, a recent court ruling by the pinkos in the Supreme Court opened the doorway for terrorists and thugs incarcerated fair-and-square in Guantanamo to have access to the court system, just as if they were on US soil. Does anything in Cuba look like it’s a part of the US? No it doesn’t. Mr. Beck shot the standard CNN sniveling salvo at Christian Republican America by making the loony-left wingnut statement about terrorists in Guatanamo that:

Glenn Beck:“We’re going to shoot them all in the head. If we think that they are against us, we’re going to shoot them and kill them, period. Because that’s the only thing we’ve got going for us is we can put them away and get information. If we can’t put them away and they’re going to use our court system, kill them.”

Glenn Beck has as a pet project something called the 9/12 Project. It has nine principles and twelve values which, he feels, embody the spirit of America the day after 9/11.

His twelve values: honesty, reverence, hope, thrift, humility, charity, sincerity, moderation, hard work, courage, personal responsibility, and gratitude.

His nine principles are:

1. America Is Good
2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday
4. The family is sacred
5. If you break the law you pay the penalty
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion
9. The government works for me — I do not answer to them, they answer to me

#1 Is fine.
#2 Is the basis of religious intolerance.
#3 What if you not at all an honest person yesterday?
#4 If Tony Perkins wore a tattoo this would be emblazoned across his private parts.
#5 How harsh the penalty is why we have judges.
#6 A bit of social Darwinism here.
#7 The second part sounds scary.
#8 That's called covering your ass.
#9 But what if "me" is a selfish, egotistical a**hole?

So Glenn Beck is a little more complex than he lets on. That's why through the inanity, the show of emotions, the mask of patriotism and righteousness, he is not to be trusted.

He's a rodeo clown who won't admit how dangerous he is to the bull.

• On the May 17, 2005, broadcast of The Glenn Beck Program, Beck said he was "thinking about killing [filmmaker] Michael Moore" and pondered whether "I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it," before concluding: "No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out -- is this wrong?" (wikipedia)
  
  

"I Don't Hate Married Women! Why, I Have Friends Who Are Married Women! They've Had Me Over For Dinner!"

For married women:

Today, ladies, look your pastor in the eye and ask yourself this question: if my husband viciously attacked me, who's side would he be on? Yesterday, the website MOMLOGIC.com published the story of Sheri Ferber. This story has been actually kicking around for several years, but it's the first time I've seen it covered as a whole story and not just in snippets.

My Husband Assaulted Me, My Church Took His Side

Thursday, August 6, 2009

filed under: love & sex

Sheri Ferber was violently attacked by her husband. What happened after was just as abusive.

Christina Montoya Fiedler:

Five years ago, Sheri Ferber was violently attacked by her husband on the way home from Sunday service. Strong in her Christian faith, she turned to her church, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA, for help. Saddleback is one of the largest churches in the country, and is lead by the very popular Rick Warren, author of the best selling "Purpose Driven Life." Many know Warren from his summit between then Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain.

Sheri says she attempted to confide in a pastor, who refused to hear her story. She says that pastor even called her husband to warn him that she had been "gossiping about their marriage." As a parishioner for 10 years, Sheri was devastated. She says she then went to Warren, Saddleback's leader, but was repeatedly rebuffed by his large staff. She says the closest she ever got to Warren was his assistant. He never responded to her repeated requests.

To top this off, Ferber said that her former husband grew in stature at Saddleback.

The church never asked for my story, never asked to see the police report, never ever asked for facts. I made dozens of calls to the church for assistance via prayer and Godly counsel. They allowed my husband to come in, and be a part of the two ministries I had served in. All help was cut off.

Later, Sheri found out that her husband had had a history of domestic violence. She found that out from his first wife!

Sheri's ex was convicted of domestic violence and was sentenced to 60 days in jail. He served 45 days of that sentence. He was also sentenced to three years probation, one year of weekly domestic violence counseling and community service. He was also ordered to stay at least one mile away from Sheri, perform community service and pay her restitution.

The philosophy of Saddleback and Rick Warren on the subject of spousal abuse is: in order for the woman to separate from the man, the abuse MUST BE REPEATED! The husband and wife must seek counseling TOGETHER. If the situation between the couple cannot resolve be resolved, then the wife may move away.

Divorce is not an option.

Evidently pain, suffering and (possibly) death are.

I myself have gotten bad vibes from Rick Warren's staff. Of course, these people are not the brightest bulbs on the planet, but with the stature of Warren constantly on their minds, you'd think that Warren would look bad if they rebuffed any call for help.

Then again, like Warren, they're Southern Baptists. When they see a woman, the first word that comes to mind: "Submit."

Just a thought.

Eric Prince's Blackwater: Christofascism At Work

“...encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life"

It's a tale of power, deceit, murder of innocents, illegal arms smuggling, and religious intolerance. In other words, it's business as usual for Blackwater's Erik Prince. When you have a billionaire father who co-founded Family Research Council, you've just got to prove your worth by killing as many infidels as possible. But first you become: a volunteer firefighter, a pilot (at 17), a White House Intern (under George H.W. Bush), a Navy SEAL, a campaigner for Pat Buchanan BEFORE you inherit over a billion dollars and start a "man's man" mercenary army. (BTW: My own name, VOJIR, has a similar meaning in Czech, only my dad preferred to interpret it as "soldier of fortune.")

Last Monday, Erik Prince was named in two sworn affidavits as the enabler of Iraqi civilian deaths and the chief motivator for several murders of Blackwater employees.

The Nation: , Jeremy Scahill August 4, 2009

A former Blackwater employee and an ex-US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company have made a series of explosive allegations in sworn statements filed on August 3 in federal court in Virginia. The two men claim that the company's owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company. The former employee also alleges that Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe."

In their testimony, both men also allege that Blackwater was smuggling weapons into Iraq. One of the men alleges that Prince turned a profit by transporting "illegal" or "unlawful" weapons into the country on Prince's private planes.

The Times -London:

In one of the statements, John Doe 2, who worked for Blackwater for four years, alleged that Mr Prince “views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe” and that his companies “encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life”.

Also in the Times article:

Several knowledgeable friends, who did not wish to be identified discussing private conversations, say Prince talked about his reverence for the continuity of the Catholic Church, his desire to go to mass every morning and his appreciation of confession.

Boston Herald.com

From the testimony of a former employee:

"On several occasions after my departure from Mr. Prince’s employ," he says, "Mr. Prince’s management has personally threatened me with death and violence.

And on the persecution and targeting of Iraqis:

From TruthOut.org:

"To that end, Mr. Prince intentionally deployed to Iraq certain men who shared his vision of Christian supremacy, knowing and wanting these men to take every available opportunity to murder Iraqis. Many of these men used call signs based on the Knights of the Templar, the warriors who fought the Crusades."

Another article described Erik Prince succinctly:

"Theocon" with a Christian-supremacist agenda.

In the past, Prince has hired some heavy-duty defense lawyers, including former independent counsel Ken Starr. When he's not running a school for Christian Commandos, Prince's extra-curricular activities include:

Philanthropy: over $1.3 million to Family Research Council and Focus on the Family and undisclosed sums to the Alliance Defense Fund, an evangelical legal group founded (and staffed by) Pat Robertson.

Community Service: on the board of Christian Freedom International, a non-profit group with a mission of helping "Christians who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ."

Politics: A major player among donors to the Republican Party.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich:

"Blackwater is a law unto itself, both internationally and domestically. The question is why they operated with impunity. In addition to Blackwater, we should be questioning their patrons in the previous administration who funded and employed this organization. Blackwater wouldn't exist without federal patronage; these allegations should be thoroughly investigated," Kucinich said.

Could that mean Dick you-know-who? Heavens!

Blackwater recently changed its name and logo to Xe. It's trying to distance itself from its image, but it still is the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors. At least 90 percent of the company's revenue comes from government contracts, of which two-thirds are no-bid contracts.

And Dick Cheney had a veritable love affair with companies and no bid contracts.