Tuesday, December 07, 2004

When is Hypocrisy Satisfying?

When it's right-wing hypocrisy, that's when:

Yesterday:
Bush introduced Mike and Sharla Hintz, a couple from Clive, whom he said benefited from his tax plan.Last year, because of the enhanced the child tax credit, they received an extra $1,600 in their tax refund, Bush said. With other tax cuts in the bill, they saved $2,800 on their income taxes.They used the money to buy a wood-burning stove to more efficiently heat their home, made some home improvements and went on a vacation to Minnesota, the president said."Next year, maybe they'll want to come to Texas," Bush quipped.Mike Hintz, a First Assembly of God youth pastor, said the tax cuts also gave him additional money to use for health care.He said he supports Bush's values."The American people are starting to see what kind of leader President Bush is. People know where he stands," he said."Where we are in this world, with not just the war on terror, but with the war with our culture that's going on, I think we need a man that is going to be in the White House like President Bush, that's going to stand by what he believes.

and today...
A Des Moines youth pastor is charged with the sexual exploitation of a child.KCCI learned that the married father of four recently turned himself in to Johnston police. Rev. Mike Hintz was fired from the First Assembly of God Church, located at 2725 Merle Hay Road, on Oct. 30. Hintz was the youth pastor there for three years. Police said he started an affair with a 17-year-old in the church youth group this spring.


Courtesy Atrios, who rightly observes, "When you're shtupping the teenager while proclaiming yourself a mighty warrior in the struggle for the soul of your country, it transcends simple hypocrisy. It's a deep and ugly arrogance."