Newsweek has a weekly feature called “The Dignity Index,” a graphical depiction which in Newsweek’s own words is “a weekly mathematical survey of dubious behavior that measures, on a scale of 1 to 100, just how low a person can go.”
Usually, three personalities qualify for the weekly honors.
I have made a suggestion to Newsweek for next week’s “Dignity Index.”
But, since the chances of Newsweek listening to me are around zero (on the dignity index), let me share my suggestion to Newsweek with TMV readers:
Gentlemen:
May I suggest candidates for next week’s “Dignity Index”?
It will be a little bit unusual, because one of the persons with “dubious behavior” qualifies twice for the “honor.”
In my opinion, RNC Chairman Michael Steele would first score around 20 at the “mildly tacky” end of the scale for his unflattering remarks about Rush Limbaugh during the D.L. Hughley’s show on CNN:
So let’s put it into context here. Let’s put it into context here. Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Rush Limbaugh, his whole thing is entertainment… Yes, it’s incendiary. Yes, it’s ugly.
Then, Rush Limbaugh would score about 60 in the “truly undignified” range for his skewering of Mr. Steele:
Michael Steele, you are head of the RNC. You are not head of the Republican Party. Tens of millions of conservatives and Republicans have nothing to do with the RNC and right now they want nothing to do with it, and when you call them, asking them for money, they hang up on you….
Why are you running the Republican Party? Why do you claim you lead the Republican Party when you seem obsessed with seeing to it that President Obama succeeds? I frankly am stunned that the chairman of the Republican National Committee endorses such an agenda….
I would be embarrassed to say that I’m in charge of the Republican Party in a sad-sack state that it’s in. If I were chairman of the Republican Party, given the state that it’s in, I would quit. I might get out the hari-kari knife.
Finally, Mr. Steele, in my opinion, would score about 80 at the “utterly shameless” end of the scale, for his pitiful groveling to Limbaugh:
My intent was not to go after Rush – I have enormous respect for Rush Limbaugh…I was maybe a little bit inarticulate. … There was no attempt on my part to diminish his voice or his leadership…
