PETA wishes Obama hadn't swatted that fly

[jefferson_dem]

As if the Presdient wasn't subjected to enough silly criticisms already...now this -

PETA wishes Obama hadn't swatted that fly
Rights group seeks compassion for curious and ‘least sympathetic animals’

The Associated Press
updated 7:35 a.m. ET, Thurs., June 18, 2009

WASHINGTON - The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter in chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."

During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama's conversation with correspondent John Harwood.

"Get out of here," the president told the pesky insect. When it didn't, he waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked it dead.

"Now, where were we?" Obama asked Harwood. Then he added: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."

Friedrich said that PETA was pleased with Obama's voting record in the Senate on behalf of animal rights and noted that he has been outspoken against animal abuses.

Still, "swatting a fly on TV indicates he's not perfect," Friedrich said, "and we're happy to say that we wish he hadn't."

Deputy press secretary Josh Earnest said the White House has no comment on the matter.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31422688/ns/us_news-weird_news/?ocid=twitter#storyContinued

[Richardo]

1. Richardo wishes PETA hadn't opened their yaps

What a bunch of pathetic clowns.

[BeyondGeography]

30. Hey Richardo

Great Clemente doc here if you haven't seen it:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/clemente/

[Richardo]

31. I've seen that!

It is great - I really need to buy it one day.

:hi: BeyondG!

[BeyondGeography]

32. Cheers

:hi:

[Ian David]

2. PeTA wants to ban antibiotics because it kills the innocent bacteria that live on your penis. n/t

[Kaleva]

33. Be humane! Insert penis into an orifice to get rid of the bugs.

[tularetom]

3. Groan

There goes the last grain of whatever tiny bit of dignity and credibility PETA had left.

They just don't know how to pick their battles do they?

[vincna]

28. I absolutely disagree...

I think their telling Ben & Jerry's to use breast milk instead of cow's milk in ice cream took the cake.

http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=11993

[Botany]

4. Oh for the love of Dog

What is Obama supposed to do catch it and rehabilitate it?

BTW Hey PETA I just shot the woodchuck in my garden two days ago and i plan on whacking the two little ones too.

[bdamomma]

16. maybe catch it and let it go free!!

[Vote2008]

5. PETA is nuts!

[NatBurner]

6. i just KNEW this was going to be from the onion

those peta ppl are nucking futs

[izzybeans]

7. The Onion couldn't have written it better.

:rofl:

[bluestateguy]

8. PETA is a good example of a crybaby special interest group

I'll never give them a penny.

[Lisa0825]

9. Shit like this is why they will never be taken seriously.

:eyes:

[YOY]

10. I think their marketing motto must be "Any attention is good attention."

Unfortunately marketing, whether you're selling a product or an idea, doesn't work that way.

They have their noble moments...this ain't one.

[Zodiak]

11. Pah!

PETA people have come to protest the medical labs that occupy the buildings next to mine. All kinds of signs decrying the use of rats and monkeys in medical research.

We decided to join them. Being entomologists, we decided to protest our own department by making a couple of make-shift signs that said "Down with research....Save the Flies!"

The PETA people did not appreciate us joining in and messing up their message...they kicked us out of their protest. So the take-home I got was mammals = need to be saved, insects are scum.

And now they are going after Obama for killing a single fly??!?!?!

I think they are displaying selective outrage in order to get more exposure.

PS...yes, I know we weren't seriously protesting and they picked up on that...probably the main reason they kicked us out. But still...there was no compassion for the thousands of flies that meet their doom in my lab every month. Just the flies that are killed by people who will get you a newspaper article for criticizing. It's pretty normal for activist groups to be opportunistic, but I do not for one second thing the PETA are really and truly upset about this.

Now I have a bit of food for thought for those that think flies suffer when squished...they don't. They have no sense of pain, no self-awareness, and barely modify their behavior when stressed. They reproduce by the millions, and die within two weeks of emergence. Any "suffering" we see when they are squished is simple projection and personification.

[zulchzulu]

12. Maybe Bill Maher, on the board with PETA, wrote the stupid press release

Is PETA trying to just become as embarrassing as Keith Olbermann in their quest to diss Obama?

:rofl:

Perhaps I should start a "Save The Veggies!" campaign. How dare these vegans MURDER poor, little innocent tomatos!

[liberal N proud]

13. ROFL-MAO

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Stupidest news story of the day.

[WI_DEM]

14. how do they feel about mosquito's?

[pipi_k]

19. Interesting question...

I've got bat houses around my yard because bats eat mosquitoes. Without the bats who eat the mosquitoes, we would literally be unable to go outside in the summer, it's that bad here.

So would I be a heartless murderess because I allow my bats to eat mosquitoes?

Or would I be a heroine for giving my bats a nice place to live and plenty of food?


hmmmm....


maybe the PETA peoples' heads would explode over that one.

[Beacool]

15. PETA is its own worst enemy.

They go so over the top that their message gets lost and no one takes them seriously.

:eyes:

[pipi_k]

18. Yep...they've made a mockery of their cause, which is very sad

It only ends up giving ammunition to the "anti animal" crew...


:(

[pipi_k]

17. bless them for caring about animals, but...

sometimes I really believe they're as crazy as (or worse than) some of the Freepers whose antics we've all enjoyed (?) for a long time.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

25. That's how I feel about them. I prefer the Humane Society, but.....

there is a place for PETA too. I prefer whacky PETA to whacky governors who shoot wolves from a plane (2 extremes).

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. "...the White House has no comment on the matter."

I'm rather speechless myself.

[high density]

21. Is the AP posting satirical pieces now?!

:rofl:

The fly was lucky to meet Obama and touch his hand.

[sybylla]

22. I was absolutely expecting this

the minute I saw the video. Won't be long and they'll hand us something we can use at their insanity hearing.

Even the average Joe or Jane could sympathize with their cause in regard to animals. But insects? Really? Totally jumped the shark there.

[slackmaster]

23. PETA can't handle having a black President

:nuke:

[SwampG8r]

24. PETA should shut up

before we start talking about the massive number of deaths they have brought to animals themselves
peta is a feel good group that doesnt do as it says

[jesus_of_suburbia]

26. The good news is nobody cares.

[PlanetBev]

27. For all we know, that fly had just sat on a pile of Bo's shit

Flies are nasty, dirty things with no redeeming qualities. They spend their whole life buzzing around hysterically until they die or someone kills them.

[BeyondGeography]

29. What a bunch of cartoon characters they are sometimes