Hack Like Me

Kausfiles has been so pointless and tedious recently I haven't even bothered bashing it. But, as the Media Horse points out, Twisted Little Mick has hit a new low.

Kaus accuses Congressman Rahm Emanuel, a former aide to President Clinton, of a "bold act of political cynicism" by proposing a federal criminal law prohibiting abuse of the elderly. What Mick neglects to point out is that Emanuel's bold act involved the introduction of a bill identical to an existing Senate bill sponsored by 20 senators, including such bold, cynical Republicans as Orrin Hatch and Peter Fitzgerald. Somehow Mick overlooked those grandstanding, big-government-loving, yet non-Clintonian bastards from his side of the aisle.

But, wait, Mick's getting started.

Professional Victim Mick pouts that the government is discriminating against his lily white ass. Why, "[c]rimes against ethnic minorities and gays are possible federal hate crimes." What about "crimes against those who don't belong to a powerful political constituency or vulnerable group with tearjerk appeal?" It's just not fair, he whines!

But the site Mick links to doesn't support his claim. At that site, the Human Rights Campaign states that current federal law "only covers [hate] crimes based on race, religion and national origin." The HRC advocates extending the law to cover crimes motivated by the "real or perceived sexual orientation, gender [or] disability" of the victim.

Is that too hard to follow? No special treatment for ethnic minorities or gays. No discrimination against "ethnic majorities" or straights. The existing law, according to the HRC, applies to any crime committed because of the victim's race -- irregardless of the race -- and not just crimes against ethnic minorities. And the law doesn't even extend to hate crimes against gay men and lesbians.

Mick can't even be the victim he so badly wants to be. Poor, poor, pitiful Mick!