Described by Jon Stewart sometime ago as “a partisan, sanctimonious hack”, putrid pundit Tucker Carlson used an appearance subbing for the equally loathsome Sean Hannity on Fox News last night to accomplish the near-impossible ; ie., generate empathy for MIchael Vick amongst non-Iggles fans and dog lovers alike.

Likening President Obama’s praise for the Eagles’ giving a convicted felon a second chance to “getting behind someone who murdered dogs”, Carlson opined that Vick, “should’ve been executed”.

Few sensible persons want to declare Vick the World’s Cuddliest Person merely on the strength of one other-worldly season (last night excepted). But what sort of a teaching moment does Carlson believe would be provided by putting Vick to death? If Vick’s acts of cruelty were so profound, has Carlson considered lifting a finger to aid the cause of animal welfare rather than bemoan such a huge blown opportunity for Fox News (ie. the televised execution of a black man)?

If you were to contend that Vick’s sentence should’ve been longer or that his attempts at public service (or association with a dubious animal organization) don’t even come close to balancing the scales, you’d get no argument from this corner. But he served his time, has yet to commit a similar offense, and as such, deserves the same rights as any other ex-con. It’s the height of hysteria to claim he has Obama’s support for anything besides, y’know, not killing any more dogs. If calling for lynchings executions is the new modus operandi on Fox News, perhaps Carlson could volunteer to flip the switch himself?