footnote: the meaning of “pathetic”

A couple days back, the recently departed plagiarist blogger from the Washington Post, Ben Domenech, cranked off (as previously noted) a farewell screed over at RedState. Preceding his signoff, wherein he appointed himself a Christ-like martyr, gladly suffering in service to the cause of America's freedom, he made this statement regarding accusations from his tidal wave of critics: "But in the course of accusing me of racism, homophobia, bigotry, and even (on one extensive Atrios thread) of having a sexual relationship with my mother, the leftists shifted their accusations to ones of plagiarism. You can find the major examples here: I link to this source only because I believe it's the only place that hasn't yet written about how they'd like to rape my sister." --- He didn't provide any, y'know, like, evidence to support the sister/rape allegation (how convenient) - a link or two might've truly served a useful purpose in that regard. Of course, the one link provided, as claimed to be the "only place that hasn't yet written" the charge, conversely means, by literal definition, that anywhere and everywhere else the story was told must perforce have been "a place" where that charge was made. And that, to put it politely, is a rather easily exposed big fat lie. Well, unless perhaps Ben is making a jest, engaging in extreme overstated hyperbole. Perhaps it was not meant to be understood as a serious genuine factually established accusation. Rather, an attempt at wit, by use of a totally ridiculous metaphor, say like making a reference to the situation something like this: "Ben Domenech’s convincing imitation of the Hindenberg." The joke possibility, however, is unlikely. The body of the whole text appears to be pretty void of anything approaching intentional humor. Plus there's the abundant proof that the concept of easily recognizable humor is, itself, quite beyond Mr. Domenech's grasp in the first place. In the same sentence wherein he accurately reports accusations of racism, homophobia and bigotry (y'know, like, when he described Coretta King as a communist), he adds - with all apparent seriousness - that he had also been accused "of having a sexual relationship with my mother." Having followed the details of the story very closely, and yet being unaware either of that particular allegation or any evidence to support it, Jane Hamsher felt obliged to investigate. And she found the source of the aforesaid charge, which was premised on a line in a transcript from an old TV broadcast on home schooling posted here. This is the line in the TV show transcript: "BENJAMIN DOMENECH: My mom really does make sure we learn something. I mean, you can't just go halfway." And this is the full text from which the alleged "accusing" was extrapolated: "Two of the frenchiest bloggers on the internets, Lafayette and LacDeChienDuFeu referred to a television program in which Washington Post Blogger for Our Leader Ben Domenech discussed his homeschooling experience. The object of their derision seems to be a quote that could be creatively interpreted to be an admission by Mr. Domenech that he went all the way with his mother. " Gen. JC Christian, patriot, "Jesus' General," is - you knew this was coming, like you could hear the parade marching up 6th Avenue from 10 blocks away - a satire. And plagiarist liar home-schooled Ben thought it was real. Or maybe he was lying, knowing it was a joke, and just trying to get undeserved sympathy?! Hmmm. A monumental fool? Or a monumental liar? Or both? This is the quality of mind which represents conservative Republicanism. Defining "pathetic" down. Pat Robertson, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, George Bush, et al. As Hanna Arendt described it, the "Banality of Evil." update: Admirably devoted to helpful public service, Sadly No nominates a slate of possible Ben replacements for Jim Brady to consider, as "the Washington Post's resident conservative red-blooded all-Amur'can blogger."