FRED PHELPS UPDATE: Anti-Americanism and idiotarianism don’t have to go together, I guess. But it sure seems that way sometimes.

UPDATE: Here’s a firsthand blog report to the effect that Fred Phelps is, indeed, an “asshat.”

I can report that they appeared to be mono-gastric, bi-pedal, and carbon-based; other than that, I really couldn’t see even a glint of humanity in their eyes. As I left, one of them shouted at me, “Make sure lots of people see those pictures.”

Wish granted. Asshat.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Yes, it’s fairly unusual for me to be calling someone an “asshat.” I’m not big on name-calling. But if you can’t call Fred Phelps an asshat, there’s really no reason for the word to exist.

More background on Phelps here, from Clayton Cramer.

MORE: Agreement on the whole asshat thing. And there’s more at The Mudville Gazette, too.