Look, the union only pays him $40 an hour to be there and hold a sign. If they want him to hold the sign right-side-up, then first, he's going to have to get clearance from the right-side-up sign holders' union local. Then he's going to have to get specialized training in right-side-up sign holding technology, which means he's also going to have to learn to read. This will put him at a much higher hourly union scale and that sort of thing diverts too much money from the kerry campaign. The smart thing for the union to do is to put the signs on long sticks and arrange to have the shovel-leaners union (the $40 per hour guys you always see by the side of the freeway) come in there and simply apply the same shovel-leaning skills they have honed and perfected over many years.
...UPDATE: A number of lefty sites have gone ballistic over this post. Some point to news reports indicating that Mr. Parlock has been assaulted by Democrats, to one degree or another, in two prior elections. This, they suggest, means that he must be some kind of a fraud. To me, it sounds like an indictment of West Virginia Democrats, not Parlock.The other tack that some lefties have taken is to say that no one should take a young child to a political event.
In other words, we Democrats are so vicious, so violent and so unpredictable that you should not bring young children to a public place if there is a danger that Democrats may be around.
An odd defense, in my opinion.