Russell Wiseman, Tennessee Mayor, Assails 'Muslim President' For Pre-Empting 'Peanuts'

In case you didn't know, President Barack Obama's West Point address, in which he announced his intention to escalate the war in Afghanistan, pre-empted the broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas on ABC. As it turns out, at least one person was crackpotted enough to believe that the whole point of the address was to prevent this cartoon from being shown. That person is Arlington, Tennessee Mayor Russell Wiseman. He actually exists. And he made the mistake of bleating out his strident, weird take on the matter on Facebook, and is acting all aggrieved that people noticed.

His Facebook message read in part:

Ok, so, this is total crap, we sit the kids down to watch 'The Charlie Brown Christmas Special' and our muslim [sic] president is there, what a load.....try to convince me that wasn't done on purpose. Ask the man if he believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he will give you a 10 minute disertation [sic] about it....w...hen the answer should simply be 'yes'....

First off, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a twenty-five minute dissertation on Jesus Christ being the Son of God. More importantly, in this time of giving, I'll point out that "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is available on DVD from Amazon for $13.99. Maybe one of Wiseman's Facebook friends (maybe even the one with a conscience who sold Wiseman out to the press out of a higher obligation, perhaps instilled by his or her belief in Jesus Christ) should purchase it for him, and he need never watch a speech about a serious topic like war again.

Wiseman wasn't done expounding on the subject, by a long shot. He went on to suggest that "you obama [sic] people need to move to a muslim [sic] country," and adding, "you know, our forefathers had it written in the original Constitution that ONLY property owners could vote, if that has stayed in there, things would be different........"

Yes. Many, many fine citizens of this great nation would be disenfranchised! Just like...Jesus would want?

So, here's the really deep thoughts about The Way We Live Now from Ellyn Angelotti of the Poynter Institute:

"A lot of people think Facebook is private so only a limited number of people can see their post," Angelotti said. "But the reality is that it can be made public.

"You've got to be careful. The same social rules that apply in real life should be applied to the virtual life."

This will probably fall on deaf ears, because Wiseman is up in arms that his thoughts that he typed onto a website are now something he has to own up to. His countering argument:

"It's ridiculous for someone to send my Facebook post...You guys are trying to make a mountain out of a molehill."

Are you afraid of responsibility, Russell Wiseman? If you are, then you have hypengyophobia. That will be five cents, please!

MORE:
Arlington mayor fires at Obama online [The Commercial Appeal]

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Comments

[Ray Brown]

01:56 AM on 12/09/2009

***23% of Arlington TN population is black, you would think the mayor of a town with 1/4 African American's would do a better job at keeping has sheet from showing!

He's toast!

[amjns44]

10:11 PM on 12/06/2009

I find it humorous and disgusting that the people who claim to be christian ( lowercase "C" used on purpose) are the most judgmental and nasty and nothing close to being Christ like. Unbelievable!!!

[Ray Brown]

02:08 AM on 12/09/2009

***Wiseman is a second term mayor believe it or not and The Wisemans are active members of Church of Christ in Memphis and is free to say pregidous and hateful things... RIGHT?

[GirlOutWest]

07:29 PM on 12/06/2009

To the good folks in Tennessee... I know you're not all bigoted like Mr. Wiseman and I know the people there are smart and educated so tell me how and why this guy got elected to any position, especially Mayor, of your small affluent town?

[sysmgr1345]

02:06 PM on 12/06/2009

We shouldn't pick on this state and its people. Out of all 50 states we score near the top in two major categories: drop out rate and low test scores. Watch out West Virginia, we are gunning for you.

[balrog221]

12:30 PM on 12/06/2009

As long as they don't mess with Rudolph or the Grinch. I would have to ask Yukon Cornelius to pull out the Obamadable Snow mans teeth out.

[highflag]

11:28 AM on 12/06/2009

And so the good citizens of Arlington, Tennessee have chosen this fine man, Russell Wiseman (the irony of that surname positively drips off the page) to be the civic leader of their community. Apparently there was not a single person in their town with greater acumen and wisdom to lead the fine inhabitants.

They are surely most proud...

[Cambridge9]

01:02 PM on 12/06/2009

Bingo!

[Jesster]

07:05 PM on 12/06/2009

Although the ironically named Mayor Wiseman has shown himself to be a monumentally creepy embarrassment to his TOWN (I've already been properly reprimanded for a mental typo referring to him as the GOV.) - it is wrong wrong wrong to lay the likes of this idiot at the doorsteps of all of the good folks in TN. After all, here in Illinois, we elected Blagojevich (Blago) TWICE - and before that we had the relatively infamous (now incarcerated) Gov. George Ryan...

And then there are our neighbors in Indiana (I forget which district) but they've been re-electing their beloved Congressman Dan Burton (best known for shooting at melons in his backyard to "prove" that Vince Foster was murdered by either Hillary or Bill Clinton and then dumped in the woods set-up to look like a suicide - but also co-sponsored the wildly successful tide-turning legislation known as the Helms-Burton Act. If only we still had that dynamic duo now - when we need them the most...)

So really, who among us is in a position to cast the first stone?

[Cambridge9]

10:46 PM on 12/06/2009

Don't know what is happening on this site but I tried to post to you here and it dropped down to where I answered your other comment. Sorry about that! But it has to go thru HP approval first apparently.

[Cambridge9]

09:51 AM on 12/06/2009

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

Maybe he would prefer Peanuts in the White House.

[tennesseedummy]

11:39 AM on 12/06/2009

isnt that what we have? I thought Obama was going to end the war and pull our troops out? What happened? Did he finally learn what Bush had tried to tell all you free thinking liberals?

[Cambridge9]

01:01 PM on 12/06/2009

Pull our troops out of IRAQ! He campaigned on finishing what the shrub 'should have finished' in Afghanistan - instead of starting his war of choice in Iraq.

Change your name - it fits too well!

[EF3]

03:08 AM on 12/06/2009

Good one, Jason. Why doesn't this guy go out and buy a DVD of "A Charlie Brown Christmas"? Does he not own a DVD player? I don't know about these people sometimes.

[AdobePhsyko]

10:31 PM on 12/05/2009

Maybe Sarah had found the perfect running mate for 2012. This guy sounds like he is Right Up Her Alley..........................................sorry Todd

[Janice Brandal]

08:43 PM on 12/05/2009

Lesson learned. Be very careful what you post on Facebook!

[NoPretenses]

06:43 PM on 12/05/2009

and thus you see how hatred and bigotry is passed onto children.

[booki]

07:07 PM on 12/05/2009

exactly right. the "hatred" , "bigotry"....should have died year ago. why was here to begin with?
i wrote a poem a long time ago: the title was : Being Born
no one has a choice...what womb ..our life emerged from


very sad......that hate and bigotry still exists., and there is no reason for it.

[tennesseedummy]

11:42 AM on 12/06/2009

Let me ask both of you a few questions since you are so open and honest about racism and bigotry? Do you still cross the street when you see a large group of African Americans in your path? Do you still lock your doors when riding through "rough" areas of town?

[Cambridge9]

09:56 AM on 12/06/2009

Compliments of the old movie South Pacific:-

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear.
You've got to be taught
From year to year.
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade.
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven, or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate.
You've got to be carefully taught!

[Jesster]

01:05 AM on 12/07/2009

I read that they almost cut that "song" - too controversial for the mid/late 1950's... Yet here we are 50+ years later as polarized and paranoid and filled with ugly resentments as ever (it's almost enough to make one doubt evolution** but that's for another time...

At this time we have three glorious (rescue/shelter) kitties who can read people (even /especially the inhuman kind) and other creatures with astonishing accuracy! Plus they even put up with my keeping the C-SPANs on much of the time in the background when I'm home (though they prefer the Animal channel - especially the audio) It's kind of nice to see and hear what's going on for yourself... also makes it easier to spot the most egregious liars...

[PeppermintPatty08]

05:46 PM on 12/05/2009

Wow is all I can say. And how appropriate that I should be commenting on this. So listen, I don't care that that googball show I did years ago got bumped. Put a sock in it g o o b e r not so wise man.

[Cambridge9]

09:57 AM on 12/06/2009

Thanks Pepper!!

[sysmgr1345]

05:35 PM on 12/05/2009

Aren't there more pressing matters in Tennessee for him to be working on? It seems like he could be working on their other great projects like guns in bars and guns in parks.

[foxbat]

09:16 PM on 12/05/2009

In his mind, he's working very hard to make sure that Tennessee doesn't fall too far behind South Carolina in the "Making An *ss Of Ourselves Political Decathalon."

[tennesseedummy]

11:46 AM on 12/06/2009

Oh yes, good old backwards Tennessee! Must be hard on us little southerners and the companies this backwards state has produced...I wonder how FedEx even get then there planes to take off with all the dirt roads we have and all. Sounds like you are just as judgemental as the rest only instead of expressing thoughts about one man you attack an entire state. How are your comments less offensive to us, than his comments were to Obama? Good thing you are a nobody or someone might just write and article about you....loser

[Cambridge9]

01:36 PM on 12/06/2009

I'm not from Tennessee, have visited (just passing thru) but never lived there. May I suggest that instead of complaining about what others say about you 'southerners' you might just name some of the 'successful' people who began life in Tennessee.

How many can you identify - without looking them up?

Elvis
Dolly Parton
Morgan Freeman
Davy Crocket
Sgt. Alvin York
Sam Houston
Al Gore

Are you with me so far???

Let's continue-----

Cary Estes Kefauver
Howard Baker
John Sevier
James Polk, John Bell and Joseph Byrns (they all have something in common)
Nancy Ward
Sue Sheldon
William Handy
Bessie Smith

OK - How many did you get? If you want more names just leave me a message.

See, it's always better to know a bit of your own history - and quote it, rather than complain about what (you think) others think about you - as a State!

[sysmgr1345]

01:52 PM on 12/06/2009

First off I live in the state too. Secondly, Fred Smith was born in Mississippi and went to Yale. He really doesn't match your screen name as well as you do, and I'm sure he provides many a peaceful Muslim jobs at his distribution centers. My state voted overwhelmingly for Sarah Palin to have launch codes. These are the type of people that voted for this mayor. It is what it is.

[Bitsko]

04:38 PM on 12/05/2009

Sounds like someone was hitting the eggnog with extra Jack.

[jhamm1]

04:33 PM on 12/05/2009

I speculate that Wiseman also thinks that Obama was responsible for the disappearance of the Great Pumpkin this year, too.