Cluelessness is not a mortal sin. For those of you who are Catholic, both practicing and of the fallen variety, you may recall from your catechism lessons the difference between a mortal sin – a sin in which your soul was in danger of falling into the pit of hell, never to emerge – and a “venal” sin, the commission of which would only rate a rap across your knuckles by God’s ruler. So, like thinking impure thoughts about Rene Pignataro during 8th grade geography class, cluelessness does not put you in danger of descending into Dante’s 9th level of hell.

Displaying cluelessness however, does leave you wide open to ridicule and disgust, which given today’s media driven society, can cause you as much suffering as if you had been cast into the outer darkness. For instance, the cable networks this week displayed an inordinate amount of cluelessness during it’s hurricane coverage that saw reporters breathlessly reporting that it was raining outside and really, really windy! Then there was Chuck Schumer who demonstrated a special level of cluelessness by opposing a Supreme Court nominee. The only trouble was that Senator Chuck was opposing someone who hadn’t been named yet.

On the right, there’s Karl Rove. The “architect” may in fact be on his way out the door for letting this Plame business churn out of control when all he had to do was walk into the White House press room at midnight and whisper “it was me” and then run back inside his office. At present, it’s unclear whether Karl is a criminal or whether or not he’s just clueless. Time will tell.

Let’s see what our group of Cluebat Detectors have come up with this week.

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself…”
(Mark Twain)
“Suppose you were to say that to Hillary…DUCK!”
(Me)

Jack Cluth of the People’s Republic of Seabrook takes the Minutemen to task for “making the world safer for good, God-fearing, Christian white Republicans.” He may have a point, although if we could separate the yahoos from the serious minded immigration reformers who are just trying to make a point, I don’t think Mr. Cluth would be so quick to condemn people who want to see the law enforced.

Jay at Stop the ACLU has a great new site design and continues his quest to, well, stop the ACLU. In this post, he shows how the usually clueless ACLU is gumming up the immigration reform works in California.

Harvey at Bad Example is up in arms over what’s going on in the cluebat capitol of the world, Madison, Wisconsin. It’s bad enough we smokers have been banished outside to do our dirty deed. Apparently even that isn’t punishment enough for the anti-smoking crowd.

Mr. Right at The Right Place has a picture just begging for a caption. Go help him out. Check out the look on Howard Dean’s face.

On a much more serious note, the Headmistress, Zookeeper at the Common Room has some cluelessness by the British government that may have cost lives in the 7/7 attack. While I don’t generally approve of these “might have been” scenarios, in this case I think she has a point.

Cao of Caos Blog, my blogmama, takes on the owners of Preemptive Karma and their “Slaughterhouse 5” award. My advice to Kevin and Carla is that they pick on someone their own size.

GM Roper of GM’s Corner dusts off a foreign troll who thinks America is too “tribal.” . This is typical Euro-bull for unanimity of thought. Well, she’s wrong of course but read GM’s takedown. It’s priceless.

The Maryhunter of TMH’s Bacon Bits shows some real cluelessness on the part of Time Magazine, especially their “Ideological Identification Department.” Un. Be. Lievable.

Submitted by Kender, this post by The Daisy Cutter on Ron Reagan getting bitchslapped by Christopher Hitchens is priceless. I really wish that guy would change his name.

Mark Coffey of Decision ‘08 has “The Worst Piece of Poetry – Ever!” While stomach churning in its own right, Mark has evidently never sat down for an hour with Sylvia Plath.

From the better late than never department, Josh Cohen of Multiple Mentality gives us…um, Better Late than Never.” I don’t think some of our leaders are taking this terrorism thing very seriously.

Holly of Soldier’s Angel has some thoughts on the cluelessness of Live8, G8, and the whole narcissistic culture of celebrity that says “Something must be done, even if it doesn’t work.” Spot on, Angel.

Pamela of Atlas Shrugs and Jackson’s Junction (Atlas Junction) has some rage-inducing news about a Department of Justice grant to a bunch of apologists for terrorists. Something like FDR giving The German American Bund a helping hand during its heydey in the 1930’s.

Ferdy the Cat at Conservative Cat trains his keen eye (and sharp claws) on Bill Scher whose piece in the Huffington Post raised the fur on his back. Calm down Ferdy and have yourself a cheese ball.

Neddy at Kerfuffles has a post on another true-blue cluebat Senator Harry Reid whose interview in the Reno Gazette shows Hapless Harry to be unaware of the term “irony.”

Is there a more clueless bunch on the planet than anarchists? Will Franklin of Willisms doubts it. BTW, check out Will’s own Carnival of Classiness

AJ of The Strata-Sphere has a great post on the cluelessness of Indymedia. An arsonist that can’t figure out why he’s in trouble for destroying someone’s property? You get the picture.

Check out Nickie Goomba. His take on the Mexican Stamp dance done by Vincente Fox and the Mexican government is priceless.

Van Helsing at Moonbattery wonders how Brian Williams of NBC still has a job after comparing our founding fathers to terrorists. It would be clueless to have done this anytime of the year but special points awarded for doing it around the 4th of July.

Anyone who says we Republicans are a stuffy lot should be reading Fiesty Republican Whore. FRW has a jawdropping post on one of our Cluebat Hall of Fame recipients Al (the pal) Sharpton whose call for a march in Howard Beach to protest the beating of some admitted car thieves defines cluelessness for this week. Note to Whore: What do I have to do to get on your “Want to do” list?

Dan of Searchlight Crusade has some suggestions for Kos and his minions about holding Bush and Rumsfeld “accountable” for the war. How about holding them accountable for 8 million purple stained fingers?

Finally, my entry is a fisking of E. J. Dionne and his ideas on democracy in The Politics of 50.7%.