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Huh, where was Obama and his leftist friends when this came out? Where was the outrage, like there is for this rodeo clown today.

The Missouri State Fair will force rodeo clowns to complete sensitivity training after a clown mocked President Obama in a stunt one spectator likened to a Ku Klux Klan rally. The fair’s commission also approved a lifetime ban on the offending clown. **SNIP** The fair commission has called the stunt “unacceptable” and approved a measure that would force the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association to crack down on everyone responsible. The association would also have to prove all officials and subcontractors — such as the clowns — had successfully completed sensitivity training before working future rodeos.

EDGARTOWN, Mass., Aug 14 (Reuters) - An appearance by a rodeo clown wearing a mask lampooning President Barack Obama at a Missouri fair is an embarrassing moment for the state, a Missouri-born White House spokesman said on Wednesday.

As every Constitutional scholar knows, the First Amendment includes a clause that strictly forbids mockery of the President of the United States, depending on who it is, and which party he belongs to. It’s in one of the penumbras of the Constitution, or maybe it’s an emanation. I always get those two mixed up. Thus it became essential for the forces of freedom and democracy to crush an impertinent rodeo clown who dared to put on a mask of our Dear Leader, President Barack Obama, and ask spectators if they would like to seem him get run down by a...

Rodeo clown Tuffy Gessling was banned for life from the Missouri State Fair rodeo after he wore an Obama mask and taunted bulls on Saturday night. Now, thousands of fans are flocking to support Tuffy. “Support Rodeo Clown Tuffy Gessling” Facebook Page has amassed over 25,000 supporters in a little over a day. Via The Missouri Torch: Poor Tuffy. A rodeo clown’s gotta eat.

While there is no written law, we may have finally reached a place in America where it’s forbidden to publicly mock the president of the United States — assuming the president is an African-American and a member of the Democratic Party. The outcry over a rodeo clown donning a mask resembling President Obama reached a new level of absurdity when it was reported Monday that the man behind the mask has been permanently banned from performing at the fair ever again, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri State Fair officials barred the rodeo clown from ever performing at...

Missouri State Fair officials have banned for life the rodeo clown who wore a President Obama mask while facing bulls at the event over the weekend.The clown in question engaged in an “unconscionable stunt” and will never perform at the Show Me state venue again, the Missouri State Fair Commission said Monday, in a statement. Fair officials are also reviewing their contract with the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association, the contractor responsible for hiring and overseeing bull ring clowns. The performance was “inappropriate and not in keeping with the Fair’s standards," said the statement. The fair did not reveal the clown’s...

On Tuesday, the Missouri State National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) issued a statement asking for federal involvement in the case of a rodeo clown who wore an Obama mask and then asked the crowd if they’d like to see Obama run down by a bull. “The activities at the Missouri State Fair targeting and inciting violence against our President are serious and warrant a full review by both the Secret Service and the Justice Department,” said State President Mary Ratliff. “Incidents involving individuals acting out with extreme violent behavior in movie theaters, schools, churches, political appearances,...

In the wake of a rodeo clown’s anti-Obama skit this weekend, the Missouri State Fair is forcing all clowns to undergo sensitivity training. The state fair commission voted Monday to ratify the decision to ban the clown in question who wore an Obama mask as the rodeo announcer asked if the crowd wanted to see him get run down by a bull. The crowd enthusiastically approved, according to local media reports. But the state commission went further, saying it will require that before the Rodeo Cowboy Association can take part in any future state fair, “they must provide evidence to...

rodeo-clownWhile there is no written law, we may have finally reached a place in America where it’s forbidden to publicly mock the president of the United States — assuming the president is an African-American and a member of the Democratic Party. The outcry over a rodeo clown donning a mask resembling President Obama reached a new level of absurdity when it was reported Monday that the man behind the mask has been permanently banned from performing at the fair ever again, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri State Fair officials barred the rodeo clown from ever performing at...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri State Fair on Monday imposed a lifetime ban on a rodeo clown whose depiction of President Barack Obama getting charged by a bull was widely criticized by Democratic and Republican officials alike. The rodeo clown won't be allowed to participate or perform at the fair again. Fair officials say they're also reviewing whether to take any action against the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association, the contractor responsible for Saturday's event. The entertainment during the bull riding contest featured a clown wearing a mask of Obama with an upside down broomstick attached to his backside....

SEDALIA, Mo - An incident at the Missouri State Fair on Saturday night is getting national attention via social media. A clown wearing a mask of President Obama came out in the arena during the bull riding event. The announcer then asked the crowd if it wanted to see Obama “run down by a bull.” An onlooker posted their account of the event on social media, which was then picked up by the Daily Kos and the Kansas City Star. “The crowd went wild. He asked it again and again, louder each time,” the onlooker’s account of the event said.

Rodeo clown was behind racist joke about Michelle Obama It was rodeo clown Mike Hayhurst of Barstow, not announcer Ed Kutz of Arroyo Grande, who made an offensive, racist joke about first lady Michelle Obama over the public-address system of the Creston Classic Rodeo, a rodeo board member confirmed Sunday. Spectators initially believed and reported that Kutz made the comment Saturday. Both he and Hayhurst were on microphones at the same time. Speaking Sunday on behalf of the rodeo’s nine-member board, Mike Barrett said the rodeo is not responsible for the joke and will ask Hayhurst for a letter addressing...

In the historic Watt Arena on the grounds of Will Rogers Memorial complex, the 25th Anniversary World Gay Rodeo Finals are hosted by the International Gay Rodeo Association. Join as the top Cowboys & Cowgirls from across the U.S. & Canada come together to compete. You'll see hard driving rodeo action along with a few twist on some old favorites. Ever wonder what "Goat Dressing" or "Wild Drag Race" could be about, come check out all the fun and excitement. Check out the full schedule including dances at our host hotel Friday & Saturday nights! IGRA.com

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Jan. 13, 2011 – Army Sgt. Toby Hall, a team leader with Company A, 413th Civil Affairs Battalion, didn’t join the Army because he was used to the rough-and-tumble life of a rodeo cowboy. Army Sgt. Toby Hall rides the bucking bronco Wildflowers at the Texas Cowboy Rodeo Association membership drive rodeo in Shamrock, Texas, in March 2006. Now, Hall, from Amarillo, Texas, is conducting missions in villages throughout eastern Afghanistan as an Army Reserve civil affairs soldier. Photo courtesy of Dale Hirschman (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. His inspiration came from the patriotic opening...

Officials say animal welfare activists forced them to scuttle the Sheriff's Department event, which was aimed at raising money for children's activities and organizations.

Thanks to movies like Urban Cowboy, Stir Crazy, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, and others, many are very familiar with what a mechanical bull is. What many may not realize is that the mechanical bull was being used as an entertainment attraction long before the "1980"s. Fact is there was an amusement park in New Jersey called Bertrand Island Amusement Park that used a mechanical bull in the 1930s they called the ""Ride 'Em Cowboy!" The day man found out he could make machines do the work of beasts, we have been inventing machines to replace all kinds of animals,...

By Sgt. Tracy J. Smith 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs ANA and ISAF forces greeted potential contractors for a proposed forward operating base in the Shinwar district of Nangarhar recently. The proposed FOB is a former British fort converted for use during the Soviet occupation more than 30 years ago and will now be used as a modernized hub for the ANA's 2nd Kandak, 201st Corps. "This meeting is to give potential contractors a walkthrough of the area so they'll have a solid overview of the scope of work," said 1st Lt. Fernando Roach, a contracting officer...

There’s a boom in rodeos in America, but I doubt that many riders would want to find themselves in this ring. These photographs by Mark Saltz (click to expand them) are of the Angola Prison Rodeo, staged by the fearsome Louisiana State Penitentiary, which sells tickets to it on its website. Why do the prisoners take such insane risks? Because it’s the nearest many of them will get to a taste of freedom. Also, the last man left in the poker game (see below) wins $150, which makes you a rich man in jail. Hat tip: Richard O’Connor.

Rodeo, the Western pastime where cowboys try to tame wild steers and steeds, is experiencing a boom in the US despite the recession. Attendance is up 12 per cent for the two largest touring Rodeo circuits, the Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association and Professional Bull Riders. Basketball and baseball teams, who charge as much as $1,250 (£750) for front row seats, have been struggling to fill their stadiums. In contrast, the rodeo arenas, where tickets start at $10, offer a cheap, exciting, air-conditioned, All-American afternoon, and have been filling up. If anything, the deepest and longest American economic downturn since the...