Montgomery County still sucks

Those wacky Republican Leadership Council members up in Montgomery County have claimed another victory when an Oshman's store placed a fig leaf on a statue of David and moved it atop the store.

Although the recent decision by managers of the Portofino shopping center to place a fig leaf on the statue did not result from the RLC's action, the group expressed support for the move. The statue stands atop an Oshman's sporting goods store, where it was moved from eye level.

Dianna Whitt of Shenandoah, whose complaint led to the addition of the fig leaf, said she shares the RLC's views but prefers to call her protest a personal effort by a concerned citizen.

Whitt said she is not satisfied with the fig leaf and will press to have the statue moved someplace where children cannot see it without parental permission.

Every day I ask myself how it is that The Onion manages to stay ahead of the satire curve.

Not everyone has taken complete leave of their senses up there:

"They are not mainstream on the political spectrum," [county GOP Chairman Walter D. Wilkerson Jr.] said. "They are out on the radical right, and no political organization or movement has ever succeeded in winning an election when they position themselves to the right or left of the spectrum."

He said the council overstates its claims of success, noting that it has never backed a winning candidate for office above precinct chairman.

[...]

"I'm more offended by what they are trying to do to that sculpture than (by) the sculpture itself," said Eric "Bulldog" Yollick, a lawyer who resigned as RLC president last year and made peace with Wilkerson.

Noting that the statue is on top of a building, Yollick said, "I couldn't see that high up unless I had binoculars."

Here's a picture of the statue as it now sits on top of the Oshman's, along with a closer look at the fig-leaf-covered naughty bits. Those of you with especially delicate constitutions might want to prepare a tisane to deal with the aftereffects.

It's just another day at the office for the hard-working RLC.

The Republican Leadership Council is continuing a boycott of the Buca di Beppo restaurant in the same shopping center because it has photos of nude statues and paintings.

[RLC Chairman Jim] Jenkins said he is not satisfied that the restaurant had removed a photo of a statue of nude wrestlers and a photo in the men's restroom of a boy facing a wall, apparently urinating.

He said he will be satisfied "if they put a sign up in front that says, `Caution, this restaurant is R-rated.' "

I can see so clearly now why some people think right-wingers are more fun than left-wingers: They have the best straight men.

UPDATE: Larry, naturally, finds a Third Way to look at this.

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 24, 2002 to Elsewhere in Houston