Pinheads And Patriots: Where You Stand In The Age Of Obama Part 6

But let's return to the real world and leave Far Left loon land behind. What exactly exactly was the Bay State message, anyway? was the Bay State message, anyway?

Actually, it was quite Patriotic in the great tradition of Ma.s.sachusetts. I believe that most Americans, including many liberals, do not trust the federal government. I mean, we have to put up with it because that's our system, but do you really think the giant, chaotic apparatus in Was.h.i.+ngton can bring success and happiness to your life? Anyone who believes that should travel to Havana, Cuba, and take a look around.

No, most Americans want to pursue happiness without Uncle Sam making things more difficult for them. And in the beginning of 2010, that was exactly what the federal government was doing: making things worse for hardworking Americans. Only Far Left, Kool-Aid-drinking Pinheads failed to notice.

MEDIC ALERT The economy was the best example. With unemployment at 10 percent and workers insecure almost everywhere, the folks were in no mood for the vast expansion of the federal government. To be fair, the bad economy was not Barack Obama's fault, and not even Moses could have healed the economic breach in a year. But the President insisted on spending incredible amounts of taxpayer money to prop up failing companies and state governments and had little to show for it. The voters in Ma.s.sachusetts clearly noticed.

Then there was federal health care reform, or ObamaCare. As we discussed, Yale PhD candidates had troubling figuring it out. Every time Nancy Pelosi wailed about a "public option," folks began swearing under their breath. "What the deuce is a public option? What are you talking about, lady?" The health care debate was so strident and complicated that it simply wore many Americans out.

A SAFE a.s.sUMPTION By the time the underwear terrorist appeared on Christmas Day (just a few weeks before the vote in Ma.s.sachusetts), it appears that the folks had had enough. When the Obama administration announced that the jihadist loon they had apprehended would be allowed to lawyer up in Michigan, the swearing became audible. Once again, a foreign terrorist trying to kill American civilians had been granted the full rights of an American citizen, rather than being handed over to military authorities and "debriefed" by them without Mr. Miranda in the room. Polls showed most Americans thought the move by Attorney General Eric Holder was incredibly dumb.

An interesting footnote: while some pundits attributed Brown's victory primarily to the economy and health care, his campaign's internal polling showed that many who voted for him did so because they objected to Obama's somewhat "soft" approach to the war on terror.

And that perception worsened when the President's top security guys told a congressional committee they had not even been consulted consulted about interrogating the underwear bomber. If about interrogating the underwear bomber. If that that story had broken before the Brown-Coakley vote, old Scott might have won by a half million votes. story had broken before the Brown-Coakley vote, old Scott might have won by a half million votes.

So the handwriting was incredibly clear one year into President Obama's term: THINGS WERE NOT GOING WELL THINGS WERE NOT GOING WELL! The committed left-wing press, however, remained in denial.

The Boston Globe Boston Globe editorialized: "Brown's strong win does not negate the resounding mandate that President Obama and the Democrats received in 2008." editorialized: "Brown's strong win does not negate the resounding mandate that President Obama and the Democrats received in 2008."

Are you kidding me? The President directly appealed to the voters of Ma.s.sachusetts to reinforce his "mandate," and they answered, absolutely not. Paging the Boston Globe Boston Globe editorial team. Does the word editorial team. Does the word Pinheads Pinheads mean anything to you? mean anything to you?

The Was.h.i.+ngton Post Was.h.i.+ngton Post was almost as bad. It editorialized, "We don't believe that Tuesday's defeat means Mr. Obama should back away from his goal of expanding access to health care while controlling health care costs." was almost as bad. It editorialized, "We don't believe that Tuesday's defeat means Mr. Obama should back away from his goal of expanding access to health care while controlling health care costs."

The day after that editorial, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi told the nation she did not have the votes to pa.s.s ObamaCare "at this time." But as it turned out, a combination of big-money deals to various states and the President's high-profile determination reversed the course of mandated national health care.

So it is still an open question as to whether or not the concerns that drove the Ma.s.sachusetts stunner will spread nationwide, causing Democrats to replace the Republicans as the party of no (as in "No, we are not going to vote for you"). We'll see.

History, of course, has a way of intruding on pundits like me; events can overtake a.n.a.lysis, making us look like Pinheads. But I will speak my piece on this anyway: Barack Obama is a gambler. He took a big chance with health care reform and didn't fold 'em when Kenny Rogers might have. His grit in sticking with something he believes in is admirable. Nevertheless, I continue to believe that ObamaCare will not serve the country well. Why? Because the ma.s.sive health care ent.i.tlement is far too expensive and confusing. In the interest of Patriotism, let me elaborate on some of the solutions I suggested earlier to solve this incredible mess.

The federal government should have pa.s.sed tort reform so that doctors and other medical personnel could protect themselves against frivolous lawsuits generated by greedy lawyers who know how to game the system. In Great Britain, if a judge deems that a lawsuit has little or no merit, the guy who sues pays all costs.

The feds should also allow all health insurance companies to compete nationwide. This free-market approach would undercut pricing and possibly introduce more options to the people.

On the other hand, I do believe the feds should impose standards of behavior on health insurance companies and fine the h.e.l.l out of them when they fail to pay a legitimate claim or throw a client off the rolls because he or she gets hurt or becomes sick. Therefore, I have no problem with that part of the ObamaCare legislation.

The overall law, however, chills me, and I am not alone. Creating another monstrous bureaucracy that will spend-and possibly misuse-trillions of dollars is not in the best interest of the nation. If we go under financially, every American will pay a huge price. And there is no cure for national bankruptcy.

WHAT'S MINE IS YOURS The final word on national health care reform is that, even if the law turns out to be a disaster, our legislative system worked. The debate was brutal. Both sides slugged it out for months while the nation watched and gathered information. Because the Democrats controlled Congress, ObamaCare finally squeaked through, but it was straight-razor close, and there were more than a few nicks when the shave was done. All in all, it was a good fight. There were Patriots and Pinheads galore, of course. Depending on your point of view, you can tag them. But I like the fact that Americans know the issues and now understand the stark differences between liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans. There is no fog anymore. President Obama wants the feds to impose "social justice." He wants Was.h.i.+ngton to ama.s.s as much power as it can, so states that do not embrace the ent.i.tlement culture will be forced to do so by the federal government.

That's what Barack Obama's true mission is. He wants to level the playing field and narrow the gap between the affluent and those who don't have much. Is the President a Pinhead because of his belief system? No! He sincerely believes America should be a nation that provides for those who do not have. I won't designate someone a Pinhead for well-thought-out, sincerely held beliefs, even if I think they are misguided.

But Mr. Obama is is a Pinhead when you think about the way in which he attained power. During his presidential campaign, he ran as a moderate, a man who wanted to change the country for the better but in a pragmatic, nonideological way. Well, that posture has turned out to be a ruse. Barack Obama is the most liberal President I've seen in my lifetime. In fact, he may well be the most left-wing chief executive in American history. That doesn't make him an eternal Pinhead, but it does cast doubt on his honesty. Few understood the extent of his liberalism when they voted for him. Now we know. a Pinhead when you think about the way in which he attained power. During his presidential campaign, he ran as a moderate, a man who wanted to change the country for the better but in a pragmatic, nonideological way. Well, that posture has turned out to be a ruse. Barack Obama is the most liberal President I've seen in my lifetime. In fact, he may well be the most left-wing chief executive in American history. That doesn't make him an eternal Pinhead, but it does cast doubt on his honesty. Few understood the extent of his liberalism when they voted for him. Now we know.

CHAPTER 6

The Audacity of Dopes: Colossal Pinheads in Our Midst

THE TRUE PINHEADS of the world can be found in the precincts of betrayal, abuse of power, apathy toward the suffering of others, greed, envy, and exploitation of the powerless. As I've written, we all are Pinheads on occasion, but if we live without standards, we risk being Pinheads all the time. of the world can be found in the precincts of betrayal, abuse of power, apathy toward the suffering of others, greed, envy, and exploitation of the powerless. As I've written, we all are Pinheads on occasion, but if we live without standards, we risk being Pinheads all the time.

Most of the people that I know are good people, and many of them have trouble understanding the cruelty that we all witness in our lives. How can so-and-so do that? they ask. Well, the answer is kind of simple and very important. Many human beings put their own self-interest ahead of everything else. If they want something, they'll do what they have to do to get it. When confronted with their heinous activities, the self-involved often retreat into a dark world. The religious writer Sarah Young puts it this way: "Man's tendency is to hide from his sin, seeking refuge in the darkness. There he indulges in self-pity, denial, self-righteous ness, blaming, and hatred."

Out of that emotional grouping, rationalizations are easy to form. Excuses for bad behavior are everywhere. Look, I do this myself. Whenever I commit some stupid or sinful act, my first instinct is to attempt to explain away my Pinheaded behavior. But I've come to the point in my life where I stop that nonsense quickly. We are all sinners; to spend time trying to justify the sin just makes it worse. Own it and try not to do it again. If you have to make rest.i.tution, make it. True Pinheads will never get that simple rule. That's why they are true Pinheads.

NEWSWORTHY CEOS?

Sometimes, the Pinheads manage to achieve power, which makes them especially annoying and sometimes even dangerous. Here's a vivid example. There's a media guy named Jeff Zucker who runs the National Broadcasting Corporation. Early in his career, Zucker was a creative type. As a producer, he helped build The Today Show The Today Show into the powerhouse it remains today. From very early on, Zucker had a good relations.h.i.+p with Katie Couric, which many speculate helped him rise in the company. into the powerhouse it remains today. From very early on, Zucker had a good relations.h.i.+p with Katie Couric, which many speculate helped him rise in the company.

Then, as often happens, Zucker was promoted and given immense power by General Electric boss Jeffrey Immelt, whom I flayed in my previous book. GE owns NBC, and Immelt allowed Zucker to run wild, nearly ruining the NBC brand and absolutely devastating many lives.

Zucker is the man who scheduled Jay Leno at 10:00 P.M P.M. because NBC's prime-time lineup was so weak, thanks to Zucker, that he had little else to put on the air. Poor Jay. He was thrown up against high-rated dramas like CSI CSI and got his b.u.t.t kicked all over the place. and got his b.u.t.t kicked all over the place.

Desperate to save his own b.u.t.t, Zucker put Leno back on at 11:30, which resulted in a very public dispute and the ultimate firing of Conan O'Brien. Because of the chaos that Zucker imposed, hundreds of people were adversely affected. But Zucker's the kind of guy who is in it for the power, so if you have to die (figuratively speaking) for his sake, then you have to die. As long as his rear end is saved, everyone else is expendable. That, of course, is standard management behavior in corporate America; it's not unique to Zucker.

But what does make Jeff Zucker a monumental Pinhead is what he did at NBC News. The culture of that place had been liberal for years, but Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams tamped the lefty stuff down on the air. The Today Show The Today Show was mostly Left but, again, they weren't in your face about it, at least not most of the time. was mostly Left but, again, they weren't in your face about it, at least not most of the time.

NBC News, however, developed a big problem. Their cable news outfit, MSNBC, was failing even after hundreds of millions of dollars had been invested in it. NBC's cable news partner, the Microsoft Corporation, was appalled. After all, Fox News, which started up a few months after MSNBC in 1996, was far more successful, making tons of money. So what the heck was going on? Microsoft wanted to know.

Emerging from his lair, Jeff Zucker had no answers. Then, kind of suddenly, good fortune smiled on him in the form of an energetic politician named Barack Obama.

Sensing some destiny in play, Zucker and his underlings decided to drop any pretense of reporting the news and get into the business of using MSNBC to promote left-wing causes-causes like the candidacy of one Senator Obama.

It is worth pausing here to deal with an inevitable criticism of my a.n.a.lysis. Some Americans, as mentioned before, believe that Fox News is an arm of the Republican machine, that my employer is in business to promote the Grand Old Party. I have always found that belief strange. Yes, FNC has a number of conservative commentators who certainly vote Republican most of the time. It is also true that we have hired guys like Newt Gingrich and Karl Rove to do political a.n.a.lysis. But we also have committed Democrats like Lanny Davis, Geraldine Ferraro, and Joe Trippi on board. In addition, you may remember that I and a number of other FNC commentators hammered John McCain during the campaign. In fact, as I recalled earlier, the senator loathed coming on the Factor, Factor, because we gave him no quarter. I asked him the hardest questions I could think of. because we gave him no quarter. I asked him the hardest questions I could think of.

That was quite a contrast to Zucker's operation, which openly rooted for Barack Obama to win the election. I mean, it was stunning to watch. The network's new ad campaign, inviting viewers to "experience the power of change," echoing Obama's own campaign message, was just the tip of things. Because MSNBC has no news correspondents, it relies on NBC network correspondents for information. So people like Andrea Mitch.e.l.l and Lester Holt, two experienced reporters, had to appear on a network that was actually campaigning for the Democratic candidate. That had never happened before in media history. You have to hope that G.o.d in heaven protected Chet Huntley and John Chancellor from seeing that abomination.

Clearly, I'm not the only one to call out Jeff Zucker. Here the NBC Universal CEO fires back at comedian Jon Stewart, saying it was "unfair" and "absurd" for the funnyman to question CNBC's coverage of the financial news.

REUTERS Photographed by Shannon Stapleton But it gets worse. Not only did MSNBC programming violate every journalistic rule of fairness, Zucker also hired a bunch of guttersnipes who proceeded to smear Republicans and conservatives by launching vicious personal attacks. Broadcast journalism had never seen anything like this. There were absolutely no rules. These hired verbal a.s.sa.s.sins took rank propaganda from Far Left Web sites and broadcast it as truth. They used vile gossip and innuendo to smear John McCain, Sarah Palin, and anyone who supported them. Disgraceful doesn't even begin to cover it.

All the while, Jeff Zucker was at the helm. He's quite a guy.

During the presidential campaign, MSNBC's prime time got a small increase in audience, primarily people heavily invested in Barack Obama. But a year after Mr. Obama's election, MSNBC had lost most of that audience and was once again a ratings and editorial embarra.s.sment.

No decent executive (or person, for that matter) would allow what pa.s.ses for programming at MSNBC. Yes, the individuals who traffic in the personal attacks are responsible for their slander. But the architect of the smear machine is Jeff Zucker, who should watch out, because if the old saying is true, what goes around, comes around.

EPIDEMIC NONSENSE There are a number of folks such as Minister Louis Farrakhan, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Bill Moyers, Michael Savage, David Duke, et al. who are Pinheads and there's no doubt about it. But these are obvious, easy targets that don't much advance the cultural dialogue.

I must say, however, that Farrakhan sometimes amuses me. I don't mean his insane ramblings about "wicked Jews." That kind of vile stuff is simply unacceptable. But occasionally the guy is so out there that I can't help but laugh at the insanity. Yes, you can call me a Pinhead for doing this.

But here's a good example of the stuff I'm talking about. Remember the brief swine flu scare in 2009? Well, Farrakhan seized upon that to say, "The Earth can't take 6.5 billion people. We just can't feed that many. So what are we going to do? Kill as many as you can. We have to develop a science that kills them and makes it look as though they died from some disease."

It looks like Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan is making a point of saying something Pinheaded again here!

a.s.sociated Press/AP Photographed by Paul Beaty So according to Minister Farrakhan, the swine flu is some man-made doomsday bug.

The man's a complete Pinhead. Can you believe thousands of people pay money to hear his speeches? Every one of those people-every one of them-is a Pinhead, too.

LEGALLY BLIND We have witnessed some confounding Pinhead moves in our time, but every once in a while, something happens in America that makes me doubt my country, which is painful for any Patriot. It's kind of like what the priest pedophilia scandal did to some Roman Catholics: it made them question the validity of their own church.

On March 3, 2006, Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, just twenty years old, was killed in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in went off the road and rolled over. A week later, the funeral for Matthew was held in his hometown of Westminster, Maryland.

Outside the church, a group of insane fanatics calling themselves the Westboro Baptist Church picketed. They chanted ugly things about Matthew and other American military people killed in action. They claimed that G.o.d directly caused Matthew's death because the United States "accepts" gay people. They believe that the deity is punis.h.i.+ng America because h.o.m.os.e.xuality is "tolerated."

This vile group has been around for years, but this time someone stood up to them. Matthew's father, Albert, filed a federal lawsuit against Westboro's leader, Fred Phelps, and his organization. Mr. Snyder stated that the group intentionally inflicted emotional distress on him and his family, invaded their privacy, and was guilty of a civil conspiracy.

A trial commenced, and in October 2007 a jury found Phelps and his "church" guilty, awarding the Snyder family nearly $11 million in damages. The judge in the trial, Richard Bennett, lowered the verdict to $5 million, but a satisfying judgment was in hand. Not for long, though.

Westboro appealed to the Fourth Circuit in Virginia, and three judges-Robert King, Dennis Shedd, and Allyson Duncan-over-turned the guilty verdict on the grounds that what the fanatics did wasn't bad enough! The judges wrote, "Although reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the Phelps protest, this conduct simply does not satisfy the heavy burden required for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress under Maryland law."

Are you kidding me? These judges believe there could be a debate about the appropriateness of the protest appropriateness of the protest? Really? Just what exactly is appropriate about screaming that G.o.d murdered a marine because his country won't persecute h.o.m.os.e.xuals? Who exactly is going to defend that position...Satan?

The legal travesty those judges created is what I mean when I talk about being PINHEADS PINHEADS. Amazingly, two of these judges were appointed by President George W. Bush, so they're not left-wing loons. They just live in a world of words on paper. Lawbook Land. They are incapable of understanding true justice because they believe it occurs only in word form. Can you imagine any intelligent person writing that there could be an honest debate over the vicious actions of the Westboro nuts? It's impossible in the real world. But not in Lawbook Land.

Then the judges made the awfulness even worse.

Stunning all fair-minded people, they ruled that the Snyder family actually had to pay the Westboro loons more than $16,000 in court costs. At first I thought the judges had been compelled to do that by law after overturning a judgment. But no, it was a discretionary decision. On the Factor, Factor, attorney and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly sided with the judges, explaining that it is "customary" for the loser of an appeal to pay the winner. Megyn further explained that Al Snyder was late in objecting to the judge's ruling (Snyder's attorney denies that), so you can't blame the judges. attorney and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly sided with the judges, explaining that it is "customary" for the loser of an appeal to pay the winner. Megyn further explained that Al Snyder was late in objecting to the judge's ruling (Snyder's attorney denies that), so you can't blame the judges.

I can't blame the judges? Of course I can. They made the wrong call on appeal and rubbed the Snyder family's faces in it. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment! The interruption of the funeral was an extreme case of blatant wrongdoing. It's not some run-of-the-mill civil beef. A man's son is killed, and vile people mock his death at the funeral? And judges who have the power to punish that action do not? And then actually reward the evildoers? Where are we...in North Korea?

Megyn Kelly thinks I'm a Pinhead because I don't consider legal precedent, and she's right, I don't. The three federal judges did not have have to charge the Snyder family court costs. But they did. I don't give a damm about three robes hiding behind law journals. They did the wrong thing, morally. They could have legally set aside the court cost issue, but they did not. to charge the Snyder family court costs. But they did. I don't give a damm about three robes hiding behind law journals. They did the wrong thing, morally. They could have legally set aside the court cost issue, but they did not.

Reasonable people may disagree about the appropriateness of the court's action, to borrow some of the most stupid words I've ever heard from a judge. And I do disagree.

There comes a time when American judges should simply do the conscionable thing. Our justice system was designed to right wrongs, but Pinheads who often see themselves as guardians of the legal gate pervert that intent.

Still believing in the American system, the Snyder family is taking the case to the Supreme Court, where I am hopeful reason and justice will prevail. There is no question that Phelps and his thugs wanted to hurt the Snyders and all other military families. If the judges don't get that, they should resign. There is a right and a wrong here, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals embraced the wrong.

By the way, I offered to pay the Snyder's court costs should the system come knocking on their door. I simply will not let this injustice stand without some kind of response.

And there's one final note that I want to send directly to Judges King, Shedd, and Duncan. When told the Snyder family did not have enough cash to pay the court costs, Westboro's evil pastor, Fred Phelps, told the press that the family could cover the expense out of Matthew Snyder's federal death benefits. How does that that sit with you, federal judges? sit with you, federal judges?

HUME-AND-KINDNESS HATERS Sometimes the debate over whether a person is a Pinhead or a Patriot gets complicated, and such was the case after my Fox News colleague Brit Hume delivered some advice to the scandal-ridden golfer Tiger Woods.

The Hume-Woods confrontation began when Brit, speaking on FNC in his capacity as an a.n.a.lyst, said this about the golfer.

Brit Hume: He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be "Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world." He's said to be a Buddhist. I don't think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith. So my message to Tiger would be "Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

Well, you would have thought Mr. Hume had recommended devil wors.h.i.+p to Mr. Woods rather than forgiving introspection. The Far Left press went wild, branding Hume a religious fanatic who was trying to impose his belief system not only on Tiger Woods but on everybody. everybody. MSNBC and the MSNBC and the Was.h.i.+ngton Post Was.h.i.+ngton Post led the gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth. led the gnas.h.i.+ng of teeth.

In response the conservative Was.h.i.+ngton Times Was.h.i.+ngton Times editorialized: editorialized: If there were any doubt that much of the media is hostile to traditional Christianity, that doubt has been drowned in the wake of a vicious verbal a.s.sault on FNC's Brit Hume after comments he made about Tiger Woods. The histrionic fulminations against Hume for his inoffensive expression of faith expose an ugly strain of anti-religious bigotry that is spreading inside this country's liberal establishment.

On the Factor, Factor, I interviewed Hume, who denied he was proselytizing and said he was simply giving Tiger Woods advice that he believed might help him. I interviewed Hume, who denied he was proselytizing and said he was simply giving Tiger Woods advice that he believed might help him.

I know Brit Hume and believe him. He meant no harm, and certainly his advice falls under the definition of legitimate commentary. Yes, Brit is a committed Christian, but so what? He correctly stated that in Buddhism there is no emphasis on redemption, because there is no concept of "sin." He also clearly explained the Christian tenet of forgiveness and the relief that concept might bring a person caught up in indiscretions. Finally, Tiger Woods is free to take or leave any advice offered, so what's the big deal?

Despite my stated logic, some good people disagreed with Brit, placing him in the Pinhead category. I received thousands of e-mails on the subject.

Nancy, who lives in Connecticut, wrote, "Religion is such a deeply personal issue that I feel making a discussion topic of someone's belief system is wrong. If Mr. Hume wanted to reach out to Tiger Woods, he should have done so privately."

William from Alaska put forth this: "I was shocked by Brit Hume's tirade. His favoring Christianity over Buddhism is unconscionable. Mr. Hume has proven himself a bigot."

Gary, who resides in New York City, also was disenchanted: "Fox News Channel is no place for that kind of 'advice' from a respected newsman. Wrong place, wrong subject, wrong time. I think you should have nailed him on that, Bill."

But why, Gary? Brit was doing exactly what he gets paid to do, give his opinion. In this case, the a.n.a.lysis was theologically based, but again, why the angst? Tiger Woods had major trouble in his life. The discussion was about how the man might mitigate that trouble. Brit Hume simply gave him an option.

So in my opinion, Brit was not, in that case, a Pinhead. I do understand, however, how some folks might think that he denigrated Buddhism, certainly a legitimate religion. My a.n.a.lysis is that Brit simply stated one big difference between Christianity and Buddhism and how the former might help Mr. Woods in the forgiveness realm. Brit was putting forth his theory and opinion, which he is certainly ent.i.tled to do.

Brit Hume isn't the only Fox News person who folks are cheering for and against!

Corbis Corporation Photographed by Shepard Sherbell The critics of Brit Hume fall into two basic categories: those who believe he overstepped the a.n.a.lysis line and bashed Buddhism, and those who think he has no right even to mention a Christian solution to a complicated problem.

The Buddhism critics have a legitimate point of discussion, so they are Patriots for speaking their minds. The Christian objection smacks of censors.h.i.+p and bias, so those who embrace it are Pinheads.

As for Brit Hume, he took the heat, articulated his case, and didn't back down. He also bears no malice toward those who criticized him. So he's a Patriot.

It comes down to this: it is always Patriotic to stick up for your core beliefs, as Brit Hume did. But some of his critics, who were sincere in their dissent toward what he said, were also sticking up for their beliefs. So even though disagreement was in the air, so was Patriotism on both sides.

But those who hammered Hume in personal ways, trying to brand him as a fanatic or worse, are obviously Pinheads. Thanks to Brit Hume and Tiger Woods, a central theme of this book has now been stated: Pinheads try to harm people with whom they disagree; they want to punish and demean them.

Patriots, on the other hand, respect robust debate and have the courage to state their beliefs without rancor. Think about people you know in your life, and think about yourself.

Where do you stand?