From Lloyd Grove at the NY Daily News...Pat Robertson

[Muffstser]

Oh, Lordy...

President Bush and his minions have been at pains to distance themselves from Pat Robertson, the Virginia televangelist and former presidential candidate who recently incited worldwide outrage by suggesting that the U.S. government assassinate pesky Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

But at least one part of the Bush administration - the Federal Emergency Management Agency, now coping with the terrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - didn't get the memo.

FEMA's official Web site (www.fema.gov) is encouraging concerned citizens to help Katrina victims by giving money to the Robertson-run relief organization Operation Blessing.

Operation Blessing - which Robertson founded in 1978 - is listed third on FEMA's site, right after the American Red Cross and America's Second Harvest.

Never mind that on his religious show, "700 Club," Robertson urged a sudden death for U.S. critic Chavez, saying: "We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability."

I wanted to find out more about our government's endorsement of Robertson's efforts, but calls to Robertson, Operation Blessing and FEMA weren't returned.

True, Robertson seems to think of himself as an expert on hurricanes and other disasters.

In 1998 - when the citizens of Orlando planned to observe Gay Pride Month by flying special flags - he warned them: "You're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, and I don't think I'd be waving those flags in God's face if I were you. ... A condition like this will bring about the destruction of your nation. It'll bring about terrorist bombs. It'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor."

As for FEMA's advice to donate to Robertson's group, one wag quipped: "Maybe we can have him take a small part of that to hire a hit team to take out Chavez, put in a puppet government and take control over Venezuela's oil and help our suffering oil companies."

[Berry Cool]

1. Oh yeah, didn't you see that?

Even in my local paper, every time they provide the FEMA-suggested list of charities to which to donate, Operation Blessing is second only to the Red Cross itself. The Red Cross...which Homeland Insecurity woudn't even allow INTO New Orleans for fear that their food and water would attract people back into the city!!!!!!!!

It's the talk of DU...as is discussion of what Pat has been known to do with donations he receives through Operation Blessing...namely, use them to help finance his broadcasting empire.

It's disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

[RevCheesehead]

2. That's no surprise to me.

1. The head of Red Cross is a blivet-bot repuke.
2. The one thing the GOP has learned is that fundies = $$. Lots of $$.
3. It's another way to placate the fundies, and get them to stop squaking about SCOTUS.
4. They're fucking idiots (usually without the idiots' permission), and screwing the rest of us.

edit/yes, I AM AT 100% SNARK TODAY - BEWARE!!!

[Berry Cool]

3. Oh, and did we mention his diamond mines?

Money from Operation Blessing goes there too!

on edit: Given that this is September and the hoo-ha for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about to begin, along with all the accompanying hoo-ha trying to get people involved in fundraisers for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, please keep in mind: the Komen Foundation is chock-full of Bushies. I am convinced they don't want to eradicate breast cancer at all, they just want to make it "curable"--i.e., let's fund research for better drugs we can give people who get it so our pharmaceutical-company friends can get richer and richer. The biggest name you will see in the month of October attached to all those pink ribbons is the Komen Foundation--but they already HAVE plenty of money. If you want your money to go to ERADICATING a killer disease rather than to Bush cronies making it "curable," give it elsewhere.