Oh Jesus, God, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Mick]

President Bush made a controversial appointment earlier today that will probably fly under the radar for most political junkies. Jack Thompson, the noted video game anti-violence advocate from Florida, could replace current ESRB head Patricia Vance as early as October if congressional hearings approving the president’s nomination go smoothly.

“I stand by Jacky,” Bush told reporters at a press conference where the appointment was announced. “He’s been doin’ a good job, and I think that all the good work he’s done for video games and the kids who play those durn things makes him a true patriotic American. If the lesson of September the 11th has taught us anything, it’s to never let our guard down, and Jack has never let his guard down dealing with video games. We need to let the man continue doing what he’s already been doing because of his sense of duty and honor, only in an official role.”

Gamers who follow politics are taking issue with Bush’s characterization of Jack Thompson, a man who is known as public enemy number one in most video gaming circles. Thompson first rose to notoriety in the gaming community in 2003 when he attempted to sue Take-Two Interactive, publishers of the Grand Theft Auto series, for the alleged role their game played in a homicide committed by two teenage brothers who claimed they were inspired by the game.

Since then Thompson has embarked on a one-man crusade to singlehandedly remove all violence, pornography, questionable content, and anything else that would make a video game fun, all in the name of protecting the children who play these Mature and Adult Only titles. Titles that would only be available to adults if parents would do their job. Thompson has continued his crusade despite the fact that most of the children he’s crusading for think he’s an asshole.

Conservatives are expected to provide heavy opposition to the appointment when it reaches congress. Republicans up for re-election in 2008 have already been attempting to distance themselves from the sinking ship that is the Bush administration, and pundits agree that any Republican who supports President Bush appointing a batshit crazy lawyer who hates video games as the head of the video game rating board will be seriously risking their seat in congress come election time.

Democrats are objecting on the grounds that the appointment was the president’s idea, and the only coherent policy they’ve been able to come up with in the past year is to oppose anything the president does. Gamers have already called for democrats to attempt to impeach Thompson if his appointment does go through, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already gone on record stating that impeachment will not be on the table no matter how badly Thompson screws things up in his leadership role.

There is also a question as to whether or not the president actually has the authority to appoint someone to head the ESRB. The organization was approved by congress in 1994, but since then has operated independent of government interference. The president's attempt to appoint Thompson is especially odd considering it would be the first time a president attempted to interfere with the ESRB.

Joe Lieberman, one of the senators who led hearings in the early 90s that led to the creation of the ESRB, has flatly stated that the president doesn't have the authority to make this appointment. The Bush administration, however, claims executive privilege and plans to go ahead with the appointment. Current ESRB president Patricia Vance has threatened to take legal action if she is replaced.

Gaming action groups are forming all over the Internet to combat this appointment. Interested gamers are encouraged to send a mail to their local congressman stating emphatically that a vote for Thompson means a vote lost at the polls next November.

Credit:

http://www.dailygaming.net/index.php?name=...cle&sid=243

[The Quasi Juice]

So if I read it correctly, after the elections, when USA has a new president, Thompson will be out of there without a doubt because like the article states; nobody thinks it's a good idea. That means one year of terror and then he's gone, I think I can live with that.

[LL!]

Just by the transcript speech from Bush I can tell that this is a fake.

[Dan]

Yeh, that's bullshit.

[The Quasi Juice]

Just by the transcript speech from Bush I can tell that this is a fake.

[Lowerdeck]

I can see a dearth of good games for 2008 and then lots of good stuff coming out in the Spring of 2009.

[Slogger]

If he was his way we can say good-bye to NASCAR, NHL, Madden and all contact sport games.

[GoGo Yubari]

Just by the transcript speech from Bush I can tell that this is a fake.

Pretty much. This is either a joke or really bad journalism.

[Lowerdeck]

At least you get games like Extreme Hopscotch and Convert The Unsaved.

[oldskool]

http://andrew.dailygaming.net/?p=17

Mr. Thompson Goes to Washington

September 12, 2007

For the record, I am well aware that President Bush doesn’t have the power to appoint people to head the ESRB. That’s part of the joke.

Thompson hates video games. Bush tends to appoint the worst person possible for a job and then continues to back them up no matter how many times they screw up. I’m glad that the government doesn’t run the ESRB, otherwise something like this probably would have already happened years ago. You guys would be surprised how many neo-con nutjobs there are out there who eat up everything that Jack Thompson does and see him as a savior rather than a raving attention whore.

[Benji]

Daily Gaming is a spoof website, check out the death of the last SEGA fanboy.

[apsham]

I called bullshit the second it said Bush could choose who the head was.

[Benji]

Anybody with half a brain called bullshit.