[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Nat

Michigan State attorney launches bizarre Internet war on openly gay college student

Here's a curious test case for any public servant pondering a sideline as an online political activist. An assistant state attorney general for Michigan has created a blog devoted to discrediting the University of Michigan's student body president, who is openly gay.

Assistant Attorney General Andrew Shirvell has called student Chris Armstrong a "pervert" and "Satan's representative" on his blog, and admits to protesting outside the 21-year-old's home. He scours Armstrong's Facebook page and Armstrong's friends' Facebook pages and posts defaced photos of Armstrong on his site.

"You might wonder how is this man still employed in the attorney general's office," CNN's Anderson Cooper observed in a Tuesday-night segment on Shirvell.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Shirvell's boss, provided a written statement to CNN calling Shirvell's opinions "his alone," not those of the AG's office. "But his immaturity and lack of judgment outside the office are clear," Cox's statement added. Cox declined to comment further.

State laws protect employees' rights to express political opinions in off-hours.

WTF??

What I really have a problem with is the immunity from gay-bashing this guy is getting based upon the state law in place. Especially in the position he holds- an officer of the court! It seems to me that his boss would be going nuts internally when considering what a defense attorney could do with appeals in any cases tried by this guy involving gays or lesbians. This directly impacts his job duties and is he not a "public servant" paid via tax dollars?