Weak Codas from Chick and Penn

Almost as an unwelcome coda to this week's dirge of wearying news, here are a couple of gems gleaned from the Internet today.

Chick-fil-A's PR Head Dies Suddenly

The first one comes from a Chicago Tribune article about the sudden death of Chick-fil-A corporate spokesman Don Perry from an apparent heart attack this morning.  Chick-fil-A, obviously, has been in the news a lot the past few days as gay marriage advocates have been decrying the company's endorsement of traditional marriage.  Perhaps Perry had been working too hard with this unprecedented flurry of attention, and his heart couldn't keep up, but his passing certainly comes at a noteworthy time for not only his family, obviously, but his employer.

Still, the good citizens of Chicago couldn't keep from eliciting the "Chicago values" their mayor said he so proudly protects.  Consider this brief exchange in the feedback section of the Tribune's story, between two women commenters and a man:

Susan Osada:  "How soon will right-wing fanatics start blaming the left for "killing" Mr. Perry?"

Maryellen Shute:  "Right on, Susan!!

Richard J Taylor:  "Not as long as it took two liberals"




Indeed, with constituents like Susan and Maryellen, Rahm Emanuel sure presents a sound moral defense for not wanting any more Chick-fil-A restaurants in the windy city.  Remember, supposedly, it's not called the "windy city" because of the weather, but the pontificating bluster of its politicians.

For the record, a cursory glance of the Boston.com website, home of the Boston Globe, revealed no coverage of the passing of Chick-fil-A's Perry.  But there was a prominent link to Ramadan 2012.

Like that's a religion whose adherents won't kill you for being gay - let alone wanting gay marriage.

Spanier Takes Coverup Skills to New Federal Post

The second bit of news comes from today's Washington Post, and an article about Graham Spanier's new job.

You'll recall Spanier as the disgraced former head of Penn State.  Apparently, since he's (yet) to be officially charged with any crime, he can still apply for and hold just about any job that will have him.  And who wants him working for them?  None other than you and me, apparently.  He's gotten himself a security job with our federal government.

Yes, it's true:  the guy who helped perpetrate a stunning cover-up at one of the country's most famous universities is now working under-cover for either the CIA, the FBI, the military, or Homeland Security.  His job is so important and top-secret that the government can't tell us what he's doing for us.

According to the Post's Emily Heil, "Spanier is working on a part-time consulting basis for a 'top-secret' agency on national security issues. But the gig is so hush-hush, he couldn’t even tell his attorneys the name of the agency. In April... he told the Patriot-News of central Pennsylvania that he was working on a 'special project for the U.S. government relating [to] national security.'"

Well, if the Louis Freeh report is anything to go by, our national security chiefs certainly have hired the right guy.  Secrecy is right up Spanier's alley.  Although, I'm not sure what it says about our federal government being willing to hire - in secret - a guy partly responsible for letting a suspected child predator pursue his crimes for years.

At least Freeh, who used to head the FBI, probably was NOT a reference.

Thank you, God, that it's Friday!
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