Beetles Get Politically Prominent Names (Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld Names For New Species)

AP via Washington Times ^ | 04/13/05 | AP

[Recovering_Democrat]

President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld have shared a common political vision for most of their careers. Now each will share something else - a slime-mold beetle named in his honor...

[Recovering_Democrat]

Sounds like the insect scientists who discovered these beetles are not naming these insects as insults, but rather as a compliment:

""We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular..."

[dirtboy]

They're saving names of Dem politicians for new species of dung beetle.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

And alsoi, they're naming some of them after their wives. It'd better not be an insult.:)

[mlc9852]

I liked the sound of John, Paul, George, and Ringo better myself.

[marsh_of_mists]

These scientists probably adore their beetles and consider this sort of thing a great honor.

[Echo Talon]

I guess this same news will be posted over 50 times FR today.

[dmz]

LOL. But the headline used here didn't cause the knee jerk reactions as they did on one of the other threads. Too funny.

[Sax]

Or Herbie.

[Echo Talon]

yea, the other headline was something about a slimey beatle bug or somethin'

[KJC1]

All your beetles are belong to us!

[scrabblehack]

Hmmm...species named after a person must end in -i? Even if after a woman? You would think they would at least allow the 3rd declension -is (any grammatical gender) rather than only the 2nd declension masculine.

http://www.vroma.org/~bmcmanus/roman_names.html

[Republicus2001]

Agathidium bushi has so far been found in southern Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia. Rumsfeldi and cheneyi are from south of the border in Mexico.

hmmmm

[To Hell With Poverty]

Bushi...that's what Laura calls 'im!

[Blowtorch]

All your beetles are belong to us!

You are, of course, correct. The power of the neo-cons extends to both large and small, rich and poor, non-beetle and beetle. Hail to the neo-cons! Hail to the beetle-cons!