Photo by jeffq

Meet Walter Carl Abbott, Jr. He’s the kind of Lou Dobbs-loving, manly-man Maryland construction worker who blames everything that’s wrong in this country on illegal immigrants. In fact, he feels so strongly about illegal immigration that last year, he decided to send an email to Gov. Martin O’Malley about it. Unfortunately for Abbott, the email included this phrase: “If I ever get close enough to you I will [w]rap my hands around your throat and strangle the life from you.” Whoops!

As you might have guessed, Abbott’s email was an excellent way for him to end up arrested, convicted and serving two years probation for threatening a public official. But did you know that it was also a great way for him to get profiled by the Washington Times? Dig it:

Mr. Abbott maintains his innocence. He says he just has strong opinions.

He has been married 26 years and has two children, ages 26 and 21. He drives a GMC truck and listens to classic rock on the radio. A red, white and blue bandana hanging from his rearview mirror reads: “I love the U.S.A.”

It’s almost like the Times is daring us to ask the question: how could anyone with such a patriotic bandana be guilty of a crime? It’s confusing to us, too.

The news peg of this story is that Abbott and his attorney, Arthur M. Frank, have filed an appeal arguing that the email was “constitutionally protected speech.” You lawyers out there correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the way free speech actually works. What I’m more sure of is that the Washington Times appears to be willing to run stories about any old crazy person as long as there’s an anti-immigrant angle.