Prairie Angel's Aperiodic Award Show

Note to viewers at home - I'm wearing Very Little as I present these awards. Maybe Drudge will give me a flashing light?

The no-duh award goes to:

... Col. Henry Nelson, Army psychiatrist, writing about the soldiers who abused prisoners under their control. From the Washpost article:

A vindictive attitude was not the only psychological problem, Nelson wrote. "Clearly some detainees were totally humiliated and degraded" by people who were practicing a "perversive dominance." He said the events were "a classic example" of the formula that "predisposition plus opportunity" can produce criminal behavior.

"Inadequate and immoral men and women desiring dominance may be attracted to fields such as corrections and interrogations, where they can be in absolute control over others" in the absence of appropriate supervision, Nelson wrote. He noted that two men suspected as "ringleaders" in the abuses, Spec. Charles A. Graner Jr. and Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II, "both had experience in corrections."

The say-what? award goes to:

...Hastert spokesman John Feehery, who says: " "It's extremely difficult to govern when you control all three branches of government." I guess it's easier to get things done when... what? you don't control anything? Fortunately, that can be arranged.

The Family Values Award goes to:

... 'Washingtonienne', Hill Staffer and sex blogger recently fired by her boss, Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), for blogging on company time. According to the Washpost's Reliable Sources, the professional vixen declined to identify the "chief of staff at one of the gov agencies, appointed by Bush," who reportedly pays her $400 for lunchtime favors. Bless her heart, she's "not trying to ruin his life."

The Too Little, Too Late award goes to:

The State of Pennsylvania, whose legislature is defying calls to name an Official State Soil. Really. I'm not making this up: link.

The Barn Door Closing award goes to:

... SecDef Rumfeld for banning mobile phones with digital cameras in US army installations in Iraq. For those of you who missed it, news reports were being filed on prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib as far back as January. Why didn't these reports cause any outrage? No pictures. This move to ban cameras is further proof, if anyone still needs it, that the Office of the Secretary isn't concerned with the abusive behavior, but with being caught treating 'liberatees' like animals.

Also note that this news report is published in Australia, quoting sources in London. I can find no trace of this in the US news wires.

and last, but not least, the 'Bout Time, Buddy award goes to:

Prince Bandar, Ambassador from Saudi Arabia, and our good, close personal friend. " Saudi Arabia has assured the United States that it will supply up to 2 million barrels a day in additional crude oil if the market demands it, the U.S. energy secretary said Sunday. " (link) Prince Bandar, you may recall, was overheard by Bob Woodward promising Bush that the Saudis would insure that gas prices in the US fell this summer in time for Bush to take credit for great economic leadership during the campaign. Nothing like putting everything off to the last minute, but hey, any help is appreciated, Bandar. I mean that sincerely.