Greg: I don’t know. So far as I know we just have the letter (which a quick Googling seems to reveal is going viral) and Steyn’s commentary to this point. As I said, I hope some national outlet or another takes an interest in this story and does some digging–a lot of digging.

I’m particularly interested in the political activities of Mr. Joseph, as well as those of the dealer to whom his stolen franchise is being given. I’m also curious about the minority-owned status of each dealership.

But I’m sure I’m just being irrational and paranoid.

LOL. I’m going to steal that one!

Quite a few people who read WmWms have known me personally for many years, and I don’t think any of them would say I’m a different person here than I am face to face. I have no interest in playing a role when I’m online, and I’m immediately suspicious of someone who does. (‘Course, if said role-playing is up front and center–as with a themed blog or something–that’s different. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here.)

Why would someone do that? Can there be an unambiguously innocuous motivation for such?

When it comes to discussing and disagreeing, I’ve only got what someone gives me. I’m delighted to get into it with a civil opponent. But if someone’s going to hurl baseless epithets and stomp off at the first bump in his polemical road, then fuck him/her. You can’t piss on the table during the soup course and then expect witty repartee during dessert. And if someone can’t remember and live that pretty much all the time, then perhaps s/he needs another pastime.

As I’ve said, it’s so hard to intuit intent or tone-of-voice with the written word, and as you’ve said, Chili insists he’s really not that bad, and I have had a lot of good interactions with him, but GOD does he come across as just a cranky, bitter, humorless, old man sometimes!

That said, he did challenge me in a good way, so if he deigned to come back to the Eyrie, I’d probably welcome him back – at least until he got pissy again.

“I have long suspected that racism (and, without a doubt, class-ism) was one of the underlying ‘principles’ of the party.”

I delisted him the next day.

Bob: I can’t believe we’re only four months in.

Lee: Thanks for that story. That’s a pointed way to bring it home to everyone, and an excellent (though unfortunate for you) illustration of the extended consequences of this lunacy.

Dan: I hope some national news outlet takes an interest in Mr. Joseph’s case. There have to be some “interesting” circumstances here, I think.

One of the most maddening things of all here is that Obama never misrepresented what he intended to do. He told us right to our faces. Not enough people gave a shit.

How much longer? How much more wealth needs to be redistributed (or destroyed outright) before there is any significant backlash?