NASCAR at the White House

Yesterday, President Obama hosted 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and several other drivers and luminaries of the sport at the White House. The event ostensibly was to honor Johnson's championship as well as NASCAR generally, but I think I know what was really going through their minds:

L to R: NASCAR drivers Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart;
President Obama, Jimmie Johnson
(click image for larger version)

Just what Florida needs: more license plates

I suppose it has something to do with increasing state revenue. Or, maybe Gov. Crist loves NASCAR.

Whatever the reason, America's Wang™ now offers three new license plates, available next February, in its arsenal of 113 specialty tags.

Naturally, you can bet that the most popular of these new tags will be the "Support Our Troops" variety (left). Featuring a silhouetted soldier (armed, of course) with a child against a stars-and-stripes backdrop, the $25 special fee will go to an organization called SupportOurTroops.org. I'm guessing they're about as liberal as the Brookings Institution ...

The other two plates are for the Corrections Foundation, supporting "Department of Corrections programs, personnel, and services," and the ever-popular NASCAR. I know at least one other state has tags for individual drivers, like a sports team tag, so I suppose it's just a matter of time till we see that in Florida.

Of course, this raises a dilemma. What are the wingnuts and fundies going to do now, when they have to choose between the ubiquitous (and quite likely unconstitutional) "Choose Life" tag and the new "Support Our Troops" plate? If you're in Florida or coming here soon, beware of exploding wingnut heads ...