Short version: Glen Busch was the Chicago director of the nonprofit Coats for Kids, right up to the point where he (on his own personal Facebook page, and on his own time) made the completely accurate and noncontroversial points that Tucson shooter Jared Loughney was not, in point of fact, a right-wing crazy; and that later evidence that Loughney has left-wing beliefs didn’t prove anything about the situation, either.  A day later, Coats for Kids national president Paul Darby (of Virginia: guess where he and his wife Cheryl’s political contributions overwhelmingly went in previous election cycles*?) fired Busch for it.

That’s not the  (most) galling part: no, the most galling part is that Darby actually wrote Busch to tell him that “You have every right to make whatever comments that you wish as a citizen” while firing Busch for the comments that Busch made as a citizen.  It’s not actually contradictory – this sort of volunteer work is typically ‘at will,’ which means that Darby could have removed Busch for any reason, or none – but it’s incredibly tin-eared to remove a guy for (accurately) saying things on Saturday that the President of the United States essentially repeated the next Wednesday.  Honestly: unless there’s something here we’re not being told, my major problem with Ed Morrissey’s take on it is that it’s being too nice.

You can contact Coats for Kids at 703-567-COAT, or email at [email protected] .  Be sure to be civil when you ask them if this was really how they wanted conservatives to notice their charity.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Although I’m sure that Darby and Coats for Kids will be happy to take your dirty rightist hater Christianist teab*gger wing-nut fascist money.  As long as you don’t talk to them.  Or make eye contact.