A New Power Line Award: The “Kirby Delauter”

We’re not really looking to create more awards to go with Power Line’s coveted Green Weenie, but sometimes something comes along that really merits special recognition. Besides, we could use a general purpose award for the biggest government clown that comes across our radar, and Frederick County (MD) commissioner Kirby Delauter has served up a doozy. It seems Mr. Lauter objected to a local reporter using his name in a news story without permission, and has threatened legal action.

Here’s the Facebook screen cap (major hat tip to Walter Olson):

Delauter copy

Commissioner Kirby Delauter

Commissioner Kirby Delauter

Apparently Mr. Delauter has no grasp of the First Amendment, among other things.  This has to rank up there with Virginia Senator William Scott, who, after being named in a magazine feature as one of the dumbest members of Congress back in the late 1970s, called a press conference to deny it.

In any case, Power Line, following Eugene Volokh and others, is delighted to join reporter Bethany Rodgers in using Mr. Delauter’s name without his permission! In fact, we’ll use his picture without his permission, too, and we’re going to name our newest award for the most clueless public official of the week after Mr. Delauter. And so, Power Line’s first ever Kirby Delauter Award for Cluelessness in Public Office goes to . . . Kirby Delauter.

Maybe he’d like to try for a Green Weenie?

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