KEITH OLBERMANN: First, because these guys are dead from the neck up, here are "Countdown's" nominees for today's "Worst Persons in the World."
The bronze? To Mike O'Neal, the Republican speaker of the Kansas State House. First, Speaker O'Neal found himself apologizing to the first lady for having sent an email to fellow lawmakers which had compared her to the "Grinch" and called her, "Mrs. Yo-Mama."
Now, Speaker O'Neal has emailed far worse. It's Psalm 109, which reads, "Let his days be few, and let another take his office. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children be wandering beggars, may they be driven from their ruined homes. May a creditor seize all he has, may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor. May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children."
Appended to that was O'Neal's personal message, "At last, I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president!"
The Kansas Speaker's office says he will not apologize, and insists that — despite the part about the widow and the two references to fatherless children — O'Neal isn't praying for President Obama's death.
I have a prayer for you, Mr. O'Neal — may you someday become familiar with the teachings of Jesus Christ.
The runner-up? Mitt Romney, now, of course, the Republican front-runner for President. And thus, the focus of the attention paid to — in David Axelrod's memorable phrase — "the monkey's butt."
A moment of inhumanity and robotic insensitivity to an 80-pound man suffering from muscular dystrophy is temporary, but a YouTube video of it is forever. From October, 2007:
(Excerpt from video clip) MAN: I suffer from an extremely rare type of muscular dystrophy. And I have to take medication or I'll die. Right now, I weigh less than 80 pounds. I have all my life. I have support of five of my doctors saying that I am living proof that medical marijuana works. I am completely against legalizing it for everyone, but there is medical purposes for it.
(Excerpt from video clip) MITT ROMNEY: And you have synthetic medical marijuana that's available —
(Excerpt from video clip) MAN: It makes me sick. I have tried it and it makes me throw up. I have tried all the medications there are and all the forms that come in — appetite stimulators or steroids. I have muscular dystrophy, that's completely against my DNA. My question for you is, "Will you arrest me and my doctors if I get medical marijuana?"
(Excerpt from video clip) MITT ROMNEY: I'm not in favor of medical marijuana being legal.
(Excerpt from video clip) MAN 2: Are you not going to answer his question, Governor?
(Excerpt from video clip) ROMNEY: I think I have.
(Excerpt from video clip) MAN 2: No, he asked if you were going to arrest him? If you were going to arrest patients like him, Governor? You're just going to ignore a person in a wheelchair?
(Excerpt from video clip) ROMNEY: I spoke with him.
(Excerpt from video clip) MAN 2: But you didn't answer his question.
OLBERMANN: Expect to see a lot more of that video, and Lord knows how many others, in the weeks and months to come.
But our winner? Greyhound Bus Lines. Specifically, its driver Donald Ainsworth.
Thirteen members of various California Occupy groups were traveling by bus from San Diego to Washington for tomorrow's Occupy Congress protest.
According to one of them, Michael Ponsler, the troubles began on the part of the trip beginning in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The driver of that bus, identified as "J. Garcia," allegedly asked them, "Are you all with those Occupy people? How did you pay for your trip? Did Obama pay for it?"
But that was just the warm-up act.
In Amarillo, Texas, on Saturday night, they were transferred to Mr. Ainsworth's bus. Witnesses say that driver was a little testy, demanded his passengers get in single file and shouted at them that they had to sit down immediately or he wouldn't drive.
Ponsler asked why he was being so rude, at which point the driver ordered Ponsler off the bus. Ponsler explained he was part of a group traveling together. He says Ainsworth rather unexpectedly yelled, "All of you Occupy people, off my bus."
How did he know they were Occupy?
Another protester said the driver insisted, "You are not welcome in Washington or anywhere else" and asked other passengers "Anyone else support Occupy? You can get off too."
In Amarillo, Ainsworth made it to the Greyhound terminal, locked the bus with all passengers inside, met with bus-line officials and police for about an hour, and eventually had the luggage of the thirteen passengers removed. The Occupy account has a police officer accompanying the driver, removing the members, with the policeman telling them that he knew Ainsworth's "attitude was poor" but, by law, he had the right to remove passengers if he deemed them inebriated or threatening in some way.
The thirteen got another bus on Sunday morning.
Forty-eight hours later, Greyhound's only response to this remarkable set of developments was a single tweet, sent yesterday, reading, "Hi All, we are aware of the Occupy Congress situation. We have notified executive management. We appreciate your patience."
Not only is that the company's only comment, but it hasn't even tweeted anything about anything else since.
For kicking off thirteen Occupiers for being RWBO, Riding While Being in Occupy, driver Donald Ainsworth and Greyhound Bus Lines — today's "Worst Persons in the World."
