No one is questioning the 1st Amendment right of free speech. However, in Lee County, FL Sheriff Mike Scott’s case, it is glaringly apparent he has stepped over the line. If you remember, Scott appeared at a Palin rally in full uniform, giving a rousing warm-up speech for the Alaskan governor.
Scott wrapped up his speech by proclaiming "On Nov. 4, let’s leave Barack Hussein Obama wondering what happened." At which time, he saluted the audience and stepped down. As did GOP Chairman Bill Platt in his warm-up speech for McCain in Bethlehem, PA, Scott uttered Obama’s middle name as though it was a dirty word.
Never mind the fact that other American patriots have had Arabic names, like General Omar Bradley, Army Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. George Joulwan, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, Gen. John Abizaid, former CENTCOM commander, Congressman Darrell Issa of California, and former cabinet secretary Donna Shalala . The usage of Obama’s middle name in an effort to tie him to international terrorists (as they have attempted to in the past), is symbolic of just how desperate McCain and his GOP shills are getting these days.
Unfortunately for Scott, the very fact that he appeared in uniform, supporting a political candidate, makes this a possible violation of the Hatch Act, for which he is now under investigation, and has provided a rather flimsy defense of his conduct. If Sheriff Scott is found guilty, the
Feds can pull two years salary worth of federal funding - the equivalent to $300,000 for the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
Uh-oh!