The sad story of bernie ward

A man's life and career is in tatters.

But was his downfall because he tried to sting his right-wing enemies?

Bernie Ward, the "liberal lion" of San Francisco's KGO, and one of our heroes around here, has been indicted for downloading child pornography from the Net; e-mailing it on to others, and discussing the material in Internet chat rooms.

Bernie has acknowledged he viewed the porno- he says he was researching a book.

"Everything I've done in my life has been with good intentions," he told the SF Chronicle after the charges against him were made public.

Possession of child pornography is a felony no matter how good your intentions may be.

Unfortunately, there's no First Amendment exception to this. Journalists have been charged with possessing child pornography, but the courts have treated them like any other kiddie porn defendant. Prosecutors compare it to drug possession- you cannot buy or possess illegal drugs just because you're doing a story. 

Federal laws give a defense if you accidentally possesses three or fewer child porn images and you immediately destroy them and reported it to police.

We can't really be sure if Bernie Ward's intent was journalistic and not prurient. But Wonkette is reporting  even if his intentions were jpournalistic, they may not have been so noble.

Bernie, according to the mainstream DC gossip column, was writing a book on the sexual hypocrisy of the right, so he downloaded some pictures and e-mailed them to some right wingers he didn't like, hoping he could entrap them. "One of them," says Wonkette, "skeeved that someone was sending him sick child porn over the internet, reported it (as is required by law) to the police." 

(Jeez, Bernie: there are so few examples of right-wing sexual hypocrisy...)

This hardball attempt at a partisan dirty trick- so thoroughly unbecoming to a true liberal and devout Catholic- backfired with karmic thunderation, and an indictment. 

Bernie could go to jail for 5 years for each of his two counts of distributing child pornography and one count of receiving it.

His attorney said, "He tried to have a dialogue with people and see what he could talk them into saying and agreeing to," she said. "He lost track of himself and didn't stop and think about what he was doing."

Once the charges against Ward were made public, KGO management took him off the air until further notice, "We were just recently made aware of these serious charges and are surprised and concerned by their nature."

The facts in the case don't seem to be in question, his good intentions will only serve him in determining his punishment.

What's sad is that Bernie might have written his book in peace if he hadn't fallen prey to the song of his lesser angel who tempted him with a gotcha on his enemies.

A solution, however, must found for this conundrum for reporters- and it's legislative: 

As Debbie Nathan writes in Counterpunch, "Journalists need some kind of system or First Amendment permit to allow them to do their reporting. Otherwise, the public will remain ignorant about what’s really going on with child pornography. And media people trying to find out will risk indictment, or worse."

Stay tuned.

Comments

[Steve]

AndrewsDad

I am amazed at how much you think you know about all this. The use of the phrase "adjourned in contemplation of dismissal" contains the word dismissal. No plea bargain involves a dismissal. You seem to think Ritter said "Yes I did it" in return for a dismissal????

Most of what you, and other's say here is pure speculation because the records are sealed and the principals are not talking.

I could speculate as well. First off, I find it odd that the court would not follow through on a slam-dunk case produced by a sting. Perhaps the sting wasn't as clean as the RUMORS in the press stated. Perhaps there was no minor child involved. Perhaps some law-enforcement officers lied and Ritter could demonstrate it. Perhaps . . . . - you see, I could go on for at least as long as you can. But it's all SPECULATION!! Earlier, you said you assumed if Ritter was innocent, he would have loudly fought back. Perhaps he chose this route because it was faster, quieter and left no mark on his record. Perhaps.

You stated the essence of your position thus: "Feel free to use any terminology you want but the bottom line is he cut a deal."

Since you've seen fit to lecture me on the law, I shall lecture you in return. Especially in the law, words have very specific meanings. A plea is a formal statement of guilt or innocence entered into the record of a court. Nothing I have read, other than in this chain of comments, tells me that Ritter "copped a plea". "Copping a plea" means admitting guilt in return for lessened punishment. That is not what happened in Ritter's case. We know that because the charges were "adjourned in contemplation of dismissal".

But all of this is supposed to be about Bernie Ward. And, as Sparky points out, all the prosecutorial might of the FBI etc. could only find a small handful of downloads attributable to Bernie during less than a one month period three years ago.

I have never heard of one of these cases where there was so little evidence. All the sex offenders I've ever heard of have long records of deviant behavior. That makes me suspicious. I will wait for more information before passing any judgements.

And, as I said before, so should you!!!

[PugetSound]

C'mon Steve, does it pass the smell test to you?

From a 2003 CNN interview with Aaron Brown -certainly someone not known to a 'rabid conservative', Scott Ritter in the interview sounds like someone doing a Clintonian dance around the definition of what 'is' is as Aaron puts it, creating a 'straw dog.'

"CNN's AARON BROWN: Scott Ritter has a knack for making headlines.

Last year, the former weapons inspector, who used to drive the Iraqis crazy, started driving the White House crazy by saying that there was no evidence that the Iraqis still had weapons of mass destruction and that war was a huge mistake. Then there were accusations, fiercely denied, that his old boss at the U.N. had turned the inspection program into a U.S. spying operation.

This all became a bit of a circus, with Ritter as the ringmaster. Now comes another furor, but this is a very different sort: reports that Scott Ritter was arrested in 2001 for trying to lure a teenage girl he had met on the Internet. It was a misdemeanor charge. It was ultimately dismissed and the record sealed. Some of this has leaked out this week.

Mr. Ritter joins us tonight from Albany, New York. Nice to see you, sir.

SCOTT RITTER, FORMER U.N. WEAPONS INSPECTOR: Thank you.

BROWN: All right, here we go. What happened in June of 2001?

RITTER: In June of 2001, I was arrested by the Colonie Police Department and charged with a Class B misdemeanor.

BROWN: And what was that Class B misdemeanor?

RITTER: Aaron, we're dealing with a case that has been dismissed and the record has been sealed by a judge's order. And I'm obligated, both ethically and legally, not to talk about that case.

But I will tell you this. I stood before the judge in an open court session, public session. And that judge, together with the police of Colonie and the assistant district attorney and my attorney, agreed for an adjudication in contemplation of dismissal. And the case was dismissed and the file sealed.

And we should never forget that, when a case is dismissed, what the law says is that, by dismissing the case, it brings with it the presumption of innocence. And by sealing the file, it's designed to prevent the stigma attached with any unsubstantiated allegations from arising. So, as far as I'm concerned, as far as everyone should be concerned, this is a dead issue.

BROWN: Well, first of all, obviously, it's not a dead issue, because it's been out there all week. So let's – I want to go back to some of this.

Scott, we spent a fair amount of time today looking at New York law on this. There is nothing in a sealed case, zero, that prevents you from talking about it. The point of the seal is to protect you from the state, not to protect the state from you.

Now, you can – it seems to me, you can choose not to talk about the specifics of this. That's always the right of the guest. But I'm not sure that there is – I'm not sure what the ethical question is about talking about it. And none of our lawyers can find the legal one, OK?

So, what happened in 2001?

RITTER: Well, Aaron, What I'll say is this. What I'll say is this, Aaron, is, in 2001, I stood before a judge.

BROWN: Why? Why were you before the judge, Scott?

RITTER: Because I was arrested, Aaron.

BROWN: Why were you arrested?

RITTER: I'm not asking for your forgiveness or anybody else's forgiveness.

BROWN: I'm not...

RITTER: I am held accountable to the law. And I was held accountable to the law. And that's what everyone should remember here. I stood before a judge and the due process of law was carried forth. And now we have a situation where the media has turned this into a feeding frenzy. This is not an extrajudicial proceeding, Aaron. I do not stand before you where I have to testify to anything. The case was dismissed. The file was sealed.

BROWN: Scott, Scott...

RITTER: End of story.

BROWN: Scott, respectfully here, you're creating a straw dog in me. And I'm not playing that game. I am not the prosecutor. I am trying to give ...

RITTER: OK.

BROWN: Excuse me. Let me finish here.

I'm trying to give you an opportunity, if you want to take it, to explain what happened. And here's the point of that. And you know this is true. You are radioactive until this is cleared up. Until people understand what this is about, no one is going to talk to you about the things that you feel passionately about.

And as uncomfortable as it may be, I submit to you that it is in your interests to explain what happened. Otherwise, lord only knows what people will say.

RITTER: Well, Aaron, lord only knows what people are already saying. And, frankly speaking, I have no control over that.

But, again, with all due respect, Aaron – and I totally understand your question and where you're coming from – but the bottom line is, the rule of law must apply here and we must never lose sight of that. I think you hit on something. I was a credible voice. I am a credible voice. And I will be a credible voice in regards to issues pertaining to Iraq.

And, obviously, what you're not mentioning here is the timing of all of this. Why did this come up now?

BROWN: No, we'll get to the timing of all of this, OK?

RITTER: No, because I have already told you...

BROWN: No, no, no, honestly, believe me...

RITTER: I'm always honest here.

BROWN: We've done business together before. And I think I have a reputation in these things of being fair. And we'll get to the question of timing. But I think we have to deal, I believe – and I guess I get to call the shot on this one – that we have to deal with the issue itself first. Let me try it a different way and then I'm not going to spend the rest of our time beating my head against the wall.

Did you ever go into an Internet chat room looking for teenage girls to have a sexual encounter of any sort with? How about that?

RITTER: Aaron, again, I have to respectfully reply by noting that I am obligated legally not to discuss matters pertaining to a

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Can you tell me, under what provision of what law are you referring to?

RITTER: Well, Aaron, you know I'm not a lawyer. And I have sought legal counsel on this. And I'm strictly abiding by legal counsel.

BROWN: So, I can dance around this a thousand ways and you're not going to tell me why you were arrested at that Burger King on that day in June. Is that right?

RITTER: Aaron, I will respond the same way, this way, until Sunday. I was arrested in June 2001, charged with a Class B misdemeanor. I stood before a judge and the case was dismissed. The file was sealed. And I certainly wish you and everyone else would respect that.

BROWN: OK. Again, I'm not going to beat my head against the wall. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't want to talk about it.

Let's talk about the ramifications of it. It is my view, and, certainly I think as far as this program is concerned, and I think others, that you are, in a sense, radioactive, that these charges, I would submit, until they're responded to, will keep it that way.

But, in any case, in this moment, for the moment, nobody cares what you think about Iraq. You think that's why this stuff was leaked?

RITTER: Well, I have no way of knowing why this happened. But the effect is obvious. I was supposed to be on an airplane yesterday flying to Baghdad on a personal initiative that could have had great ramifications in regards to issues of war and peace.

I wish people would keep the eye on the ball here. It's about war and peace. It's about the potential of conflict with Iraq, many thousands of Americans dying. And whether you agreed with me or disagreed with me on the issue, there's no doubting – and you can't rewrite history – I was a very effective voice in the anti-war effort in the campaign to keep inspectors on the ground.

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: What is stopping you from going to Baghdad?

RITTER: Well, look, what's stopping me is the reason why I'm sitting here before you, Aaron.

If I went to Baghdad and tried to talk responsibly about issues of war and peace, this issue would have come up. And it would have been a distraction and it would have actually been a disservice. There are people in Baghdad right now pursuing the initiative that I started. And I want to give them every chance of success. I don't want to provide any distractions.

BROWN: Well, one way or another, I hope all this stuff gets cleared up and you can get back to talking about the issues you care about. But, again, I'm not quite sure how that's going to happen.

I appreciate your time. This is not easy for either of us. Thank you very much.

RITTER: Thank you.

BROWN: Scott Ritter, from Albany, New York, tonight.

[Steve]

PugetSound - about that smell test - a quote from Scott Ritter in the transcript you supplied:

". . . the effect is obvious. I was supposed to be on an airplane yesterday flying to Baghdad on a personal initiative that could have had great ramifications in regards to issues of war and peace.

I wish people would keep the eye on the ball here. It's about war and peace. It's about the potential of conflict with Iraq, many thousands of Americans dying. And whether you agreed with me or disagreed with me on the issue, there's no doubting – and you can't rewrite history – I was a very effective voice in the anti-war effort in the campaign to keep inspectors on the ground."

As I said previously, some allegation, which was never proven, was used as a RUMOR to effectively silence Ritter at a crucial time in the march to war. That stinks!!

Do I wish Ritter had answered all the questions? Sure. But I keep in mind that a judge DISMISSED the charges and sealed the case so the threat to society must have been pretty minimal. As Ritter points out, a dismissal equals innocence under the law. How would you feel if your important work was eclipsed by some RUMOR and INNUENDO campaign that became the only thing people were interested in about you? Have you nothing in your past that could be twisted and exaggerated into some terrible sounding rumor?

I, for one, found the smell of the Bush/Cheney war machine to be of much more consequence than how Ritter came to be in court one afternoon. And now the Bush/Cheney war meachine reeks of upwards of 250,000 dead and rotting corpses.

But let's continue to opine on whether there was any truth at all to the RUMORS about Scott Ritter.

And, since this thread was originally about Bernie Ward, how's the smell there?

As a Ward listener, I can say that he had become much more vocal in his criticism of Pelosi and Feinstein lately. Pelosi who steadfastly ignores the will of the people and Feinstein who votes like a Repug half the time. Remember, Ward was indicted by one of the U.S. Attorneys who WAS NOT FIRED last year. Is it just a coincidence that he was indicted now? I don't know. Is there a whiff of something rotten on the wind? Could be . . . I'm certainly staying open to lots of possibilities.

[sparky]

I miss Bernie.

The rumormongoring sort of reminds me of a couple of teachers I know who each were falsely accused of inappropriate behavior with a student. In both cases, the students admitted to being angry and using the one accusation they knew would cause the most trouble. This is not the same situation as Bernie is facing, but the public is always quick to make up their minds and let their imaginations fill in the blanks, regardless of what the facts show later on. And that follows the accused around for a very long time.

[Steve]

Exactly Sparky!

Here we are 4+ years later - we know that the WMD stories were lies, we know that Scott Ritter was correct but all people want to talk about is his arrest.

These kinds of accusations make a very effective technique for punishing people, whether they deserve it or not.

[Nevets]

"Remember, Ward was indicted by one of the U.S. Attorneys who WAS NOT FIRED last year."

You might want to check this out Steve. Sparky posted this under another thread.

"This person, Scott Schools, was supposed to be a short term, temporary replacement for a US Attorney who was fired under former Atty. General Gonzales."

[Nevets]

And do i recall reading this that the Asst. D.A. in the Ritter case was fired for letting this case being dismissed like it was.

[sparky]

Steve has his facts correct, Stevarino. The US Attorney in DC who is prosecuting this was appointed to take the place of the one who got fired. Schools was one of the US Attorneys who was NOT fired because he had a record more pleasing to BushCo. Even though he was appointed to a San Francisco court he continues to live in DC .

Watch for things to pick up in 08 as BushCo and team rush to clean up all their little messes as time runs out.

[Nevets]

I thought Steve meant District Attorneys that were asked to resign Sparky. Not US Attorneys in general if that was what Schools position was in the Justice Department prior to taking the interim position in SF. Sorry Steve if I misunderstood.

[sparky]

Well yes, that is who I meant...US. District Attorneys.
I just think it is odd that Bernie has become targeted at this time. Previous investigations over several years did not find anything incriminating, but now he is in the crosshairs once this guy is appointed.

[JML]

Look, it is wrong to ENGAGE in illegal sexual acts with underage persons.

It is not unusual. And the age of "underage" is a political and cultural issue. Fact.

I cannot imagine why Bernie Ward was so remiss and foolish to even offer his opponents such an open invitation to ruin him.

But America is totally overboard in its laws regarding underage ponography online. Think about it. Bernie's case highlights it. Not only the First Amendment considerations. In Japan, for example, a Hokkaido middle school teacher who had sex with 6 girls under 15 y/o and who had 753 photos of nude underage girls that he had sold online, profiting 2,000,000 yen. He got 7 years--suspended sentence...

[joanie]

I'm sorry, JML, but just because females have little value in Japan doesn't mean we lack value here. You ever talked to Japanese wives and girls?

Their society is drastically behind in the gender-equality category.

I bet your address book is a how-to when it comes to porn sites. I'd use intitals too if I were you.

[VARIT00L]

SEEMS WE END UP WITH RITTER, How the hell did that happen,from a low life entrapment plan, lets just treat BW as he would treat others, it's easer to ask for forgiveness than permission..May Bernnie stew in his personal juices of hatred of those who disagree with him....

[jummy]

When I was a citizen of Second Life, I tried to rouse whatever republicans that were there to action. It was kinda boring with just the John Edwards people there. I sent an announcement to an already registered, but landless and dormant group.

The first person to contact me was a progressive who immediately tried to entrap me into saying some words of support for the French Neo-Fascist candidate LePen, who's presence in SL was causing something of a panick.

The next I heard from this progressive's avatar, he sent me a landmark invitation. I clicked on it and was sent to a gay club the avatar was greifing. "FILL MY REPUBLICAN ASS YOU AIDS FAGGITS!" you know, stuff like that.

After apologising to the parcel owner, I had the progressive avatar tossed from the group. A week later, the same user activated another avatar he had laying around and signed up with all of the Republican groups, and started trolling, sockpuppetting and greifing in the groups name all over again.

Now, the net is a small corner of my life, and this was but one nook of the net, but i have a story like this for every website I've ever frequented.

Of the generally risable tone of this Captain Renault-esque post, no part is so hard to swallow as the part where you claim that the progressive child molester, Bernie Ward, was jus' trollin' and declare that such dirty tricks are beyond the pale for progressives.

Indeed Proogressives hardly ever seem to opt for discourse when deception can be tried.

Shame on you, you lying apologist.

As for that neck-snapping Gonzalez tie-back, the San Fran DA who''s prosecuting this case was the one who replaced a fired DA. Basicly the first thing Schools did was "free Josh Wolf!!" merciless and unerring agent of the vast rightwing conspiracy, he.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/03/BAGLRP0PAP4.DTL

Again: shame on you. I say that because I know with mathematical certainty that as the delusional exculpatioons being crafted here fall away - and they will all fall away - some of you will go on to camp the Wiki article, removing any trace of his progressiveism, while many of you will find yourselves defending him for what he in fact is. And that is disgusting. You are disgusting.

[Frances]

Is this what you liberals do. Make excuses for sick people. He's sick and gross. It is not the conservatives or the republicans fault that you have a pedophile subhuman as a liberal hero.

[sparky]

Takes one to know one, Frances. Hmmm, how many republican congressmen were caught diddling boys?..At least we dont elect them...

Bernie's site is not down....Bla'Ms link just doesnt work. I googled it and it works fine. He posted his last article yesterday.

[frances]

So a republican congressman is a pervert and that makes it ok for your liberal sick hero to molest children. I also think what Larry Craig did was wrong and he should have been out as a congressman. I make no excuses for perverts like liberals do. I guess you don't know anything about Barnie Frank? So you do elect them let them molest children and keep electing them. Conservatives get rid of them.

[jummy]

"Hmmm, how many republican congressmen were caught diddling boys?"

Please, put a number on it for us.

[PugetSound]

YIKES!!!!
I guess that Book writing defense is going out the window for Bernie Ward. Bernie, I listened to you off and on since the late 80's...I had no idea. I really respected you as a clever debater. But this crap, Double yikes.

SexFairy?

[Duffman]

That's some heavy stuff Puts! Things might be coming into focus on this?

[PugetSound]

it gets worse....
this is even more sad.

thisain'tnobookwritingdeal

or
http://prosites-prs.homestead.com/ward_new.pdf

my folks live about 10 miles from oakdale. so i am very familiar with the area and the people.

[sparky]

Puts...you are quoting Brian Baloney the Radio Fertilizer??? think about that for a minute..

[PugetSound]

for those that use to listen to bernie, recall how he would like to jokingly refer to his female producer as a dominatrix? before i thought it was just some joshing around, evidently he really was into it. of course, if it is adults it isn't a big deal. but those little kids.
and for anyone tempted to make this a lib or repub thing, it is a pedaphilia thing...not a political thing.

[PugetSound]

okay, go to the police report. or
go to the san fran news show.
it's a big deal down by my parents.

[Purelabor]

It matters little if he is right or left. A perv is a perv. Sometimes you have to let go of the political side of things and look at the person. If he is guilty put him in jail. If he is not, then let him go. It is that simple. It is not right or left here. Both sides have some pretty bad leaders. Kennedy, Bush, Clinton, Nixon. Glass houses all.

[Duffman]

Sickening! :(

[PugetSound]

i know you call him the radio fertilizer, but i'll just quote Blam in his link to the Radio Equilizer.
"
"The Radio Equalizer
prolific former Seattle KVI, KIRO talk host speaks authoritatively about radio."

[Duffman]

The City of Oakdale police report is hard to discount. :(

[sparky]

and i said I was going to wait until the court decides.

Now Im going to go finish packing and take a well-deserved vacation in sunny Portland Oregon. Back on Tuesday! hasta la vista!

[PugetSound]

i just hope that he was just talking about it cause if he did it -to include his own kids- wow....i wonder how he avoided getting entrapped on those Dateline NBC 'To Catch A Predator' shows with Keith Hanson

wonder how people would take it on this blog if the name was Rush not Bernie?

[PugetSound]

enjoy the well earned vacation.

[Duffman]

...me thinks skedaddle is in order :)

[cowpotpi3]

Simple PS. If there is real evidence then take it to trial, if there isn't and this is grasping at straws let it go. You see for all of the dissing of liberals that flies around we have principles.

I wouldn't protect a single liberal who commits a crime like that. However there are copious examples of Republicans doing this exact thing...Dennis Hastert and Mark Foley anyone? Larry Craig? What about Senator "Diapers" Vitter? I mean c'mon...you guys hardly have a leg to stand on here.

[PugetSound]

i am talking about radio show hosts...
we all had a good laugh at limbaugh. even before he was found guilty the folks on this blog -me included- had fun at his expense.
this of course isn't funny.
if you can see a single post in which i defended craig, foley, vitters, et al let me see it.

[Duffman]

Right CPP3...absolutely transcends political boundaries...this is sick stuff. I don't even care if he was in fact writing a book...the police report stuff is damning and I don't care whether he's liberal, conserv, communist, pink, purple, or polka-dotted. This guy is suspect and while sure we wait for the jury...but I would never discount a public police report with details like that...even if he is innocent...innocent of what?

[jummy]

The Lion of the Left: But I'm horny Mistress...My son had his freind over and I saw his cock and it was hot.

SexyFairy2005: Ooooh really?

LOL: His cock was bigger than mine, Mistress.

LOL: My daughters and one son say hi, Mistress.

SF: Tell them hello.

LOL: Yes Ma'am.

LOL: His freind [redacted]
He's the one with the nice [redacted]

SF: Ohhh really.

LOL: Yes Mistress. He is walking around in boxers like my son. you can see it pretty easily.

LOL: oh, I like looking at it Mistress.

LOL: it's about [redacted] ...almost no hair around it.

LOL: it's not thick...but it's cute.

LOL: she [The Lion of the Left's own fucking daughter] just told them she'd get naked if they'd both start jacking off.

SF: she's domming them lol

LOL: they're doing it mistress really doing it

SF: doing what?

LOL: she got naked and they're jacking off. this is cool to watch.

[another session]

The Lion of the Left: My son and his freind are here. they are both hard.

SF: Ohhh really?

LOL: yes. they both have skinny cocks but definately hard

LOL: they are looking at other pictures i have along with my daughter who thinks they are both interesting to watch.

SF: phhh really.

LOL: yes:

LOL: can i please cum mistress?

SF: no

LOL: i've been good all day. They are going to cum. can i please?

SF: can you what?

LOL: cum please mistress?

SF: who is going to come?

LOL: the boys

SF: and you want to come with them?

LOL: or after themi don't care mistress.

LOL: is it okay mistress?

SF: what exactly are you thinking about doing?

-----------------

and on and on in that vein. you know. what the progressives at this blog regard as "good intentioned" "book research" and "exposure" of "rethuglican" misdeeds.

[Duffman]

Was THAT really necessary?

[jummy]

absolutely.

[kevin de bruxelles]

This "Lion of the Left" is just a sick loser. To sexualize his own children as he does on those trnascripts is disturbing beyond words. He deserves whatever jail time he gets; his political views have no bearing on the matter.

[frances]

His political views have everything to do with this matter. That is the problem with liberals. Private and public lives are intertwined. That is why he is a liberal, deep in his heart he believes this sick behavior should be legal so he sides with the political party that agrees with him

[Nauseous]

Jesus H. Christ people.... After reading the comments above I am so thoroughly disgusted with this country's political system that I think I may vomit.

Bernie was a pervert and deserves to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The same goes for Mark Foley and the other republican perverts that have been caught doing despicable things. Their political ideals shouldn't enter into it.

The only thing that should be considered is how did these people, with such low character, rise to such power in their respective parties? There is a sickness in the American culture (especially in the ruling class) and you people are too busy playing 'My side is better than yours'.

John

[jummy]

Nauseous, since your affectations of principled disgust at partisan scandal-mongering are notably absent under other circumstances, My guess is that you're a bullshitter and a fool who can go fuck himself.

[scot]

How any father could even think such thoughts about his own children is a sure sign of perversion. Research or not, to put such images of yor own kids out is just sick. Ward is toast.

[kevin de bruxelles]

It turns out Bernie Ward really was researching a book on hypocracy in America.

Too bad it was an autobiography

[Leigh]

If you've read his recently published online chat comments, there is absolutely NO WAY that his activity can possibly be construed as research. To discuss one's own children in such a manner is unthinkable. Bernie Ward's behavior clearly demonstrates that evil is alive and well in the world and my heart aches for his family. As for Bernie...He mentioned in his perv. chat fest that he wanted to receive a certain device in an orifice not designed for said purpose. Well, Mr. Ward, your wish may be granted on a repeated basis--complements of your new buddies in federal prison.

[Larry Craig]

I am still not gay!

[Gasbag]

I knew it! This proves it. Wards a phony! His whole career has been an act! He's really a Republican!!!!!

(You people who are hung up on political persuasion and reference it in the context of this story are as whacked as Ward.)

[frances]

Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave." Guess what this is describing? Yes, the liberal!!!

[PugetSound]

hey joanie, whats up with your 'lyon on the left' anyway. former preacher and former teacher. some say we should have seen the signs.

[jammy]

Okay, so now all the hate mongers can come out and play, now that The Cat is locked up, for now... Well, folks, just consider the source of this alleged "police transcript"...of an alleged conversation between Bernie Ward and, what, an alleged sex worker, one with A Heart of Gold, oh so pure, that "she" (if this isn't actually a fictitious person who doesn't and never existed, spewing fabricated comments on a faked transcript) felt it necessary to contact the police? Oh yeah, yeah, call the police, call attention to yourself and your alleged "career" as a SEX worker??? Yeah, sure. And where are we getting this "news??" The Michael Savage website??? Michael "Savage" (hey, folks, "Savage" isn't his real name-- it's Weiner-- something like that...) comes from a liberal Jewish family in Florida, well-known for their financial largesse regarding so-called "liberal" charitable causes. Michael figured out that he could REALLY get rich if he took up the position of right wingers and made money off of these "good folks" by pandering to their hatred, and he’s been living happily every afterward, laughing all the way to the bank. Where did I hear this??? On the Bernie Ward show, of course. Come ON, people. If "they" can slam planes into the World Trade Center and somehow not scramble military jets to stop it from happening, if "they" can manage to steal not one but TWO presidential elections, then faking a police transcript is easier than stealing candy from a baby...DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!