THIS JUST IN: CHALLENGER ACCUSES CLERK OF USING PRISONERS FROM ABU GRAIB......

.....AND PELICAN BAY AND ATTICA AND THE BASTILLE AND STALAG 17 AND CUMMINS PRISON FARM.....THE LIST GOES ON AS THE TARGET MOVES

The merely annoying has become the patently absurd. After the Clerk challenger's mouthpieces have attacked this blog for merely reporting that the challenger had spread negative information about the handling of materials by "prisoners", (oh there's that naughty "P" word again --I'm sure he meant to say "convicted traffic offenders") thereby implicating our fine sheriff, I stupidly thought the guy would have the good sense to at least stay off that kick.

Then I got my mail yesterday.

Ever leading with his chin, the challenger has mailed a two page piece that closely resembles the bottom of a bird cage. Now he claims citizens should have mandatory acid reflux over ""work-release" prisoners being allowed to "handle office records".

Where do we start with such a moving target? How about this? SWAP and "work-release" are not even vaguely the same thing. Where are these "work-release"people being "released" from? The Adams County Jail, huh? Imagine that! Who runs the Adams County Jail? Oh, right, it's that Adams County Sheriff. And who would be resposible if they were doing something they were not supposed to do (which, of course, they weren't)? The Sheriff.

All I am doing here is pointing out the natural consequence of what this candidate (not any other living, breathing human being--this candidate)has done. In our society, we are not allowed to toss a grenade into a large groupof people and say "Gee, I hope nobody gets hurt." This is equivalent behavior. The allegations are his. He either couldn't figure out that this would be uncormfortable for the sheriff or he didn't care. Maybe no price is too great to pay to hurt our current Clerk............ as long as the challenger doesn't have to pay it.

Then he has his grassrooting blog attack us for pointing out the obvious--once you use the "P" word, you've inevitably created a headache for the one guy in the world who least deserves it, Fish. With respect to the candidate and his committee, it was a poorly thought out gambit and it shouldn't have been done. Regarding the accusations against me, it's a bad rap and a candidate with integrity would disclaim it. In the meantime, I happen to think he's a nice guy and I'll assume he doesn't know about it. It still says a lot about the folks who know better.

Guess there's one other possibility. Maybe he's just into prison flicks. Maybe this whole embarassing escapade is just an outcropping of his DVD collection, featuring the "Shawshank Redemption" and "Cool Hand Luke". Go figure.