Just one thing...

OK. Maybe I'm a little...uh, I'm not sure what the word is...oh, yeah, SENSITIVE about these things.

By that I don't mean "grossed out"...I mean something more like, "You called me WHAT? Come here so I can hit you." Consider this entry, courtesy of ABCNews' website...

The president has many nicknames for the chief strategist of his gubernatorial and presidential victories, including "The Architect" and "Boy Genius," as well as "Turd Blossom," a joking nod to Rove's successes in light of his humble beginnings.

Uh...exsqueeze me? Baking powder?

I read the article and got the jist of the meaning...yeah...Rove never got a college education, worked a variety of blue-collar jobs before hookin' up with the Dubya train, etc. I'm down with the symbolism and what the name represents.

But come on - that's a lousy thing to have appear in print about someone. Even if the nickname is common knowledge along the DC Beltway, why does it have to be in the news? I'm not even a fan of the guy. I guess when I'm still digesting breakfast and I read a paragraph of this nature while I'm scanning the Internet for news, I get a bit sickened.

When I think "turd blossom", I think of a little present left in someone's underwear when it's your turn to do laundry. I don't think of a close Presidential advisor. I'm sure that many folks consider Rove to be a "turd blossom" in my sense as opposed to the more...um...complimentary (?) version listed above.

To me, using this nickname is the same thing as when the "n" word is used...or when women call each other "ho" or "b***h"and think it's funny.

I'm not trying to be a "niceness" advocate...with the past few months under my belt, I've been called quite a few names. Sometimes, you've gotta express yourself and "tell it like it t-i-s" (as the B-52s might say).

But really...how do private nicknames like this come out in the open? Who would disclose a nickname like "turd blossom"? Furthermore, who would be OK with owning said nickname, much less bestowing that nickname upon someone?

"Hey man...you've worked so hard to get where you are...I'm gonna call you a name that I think is quite complimentary but will gross out everyone else. I christen thee turd blossom..."

OH well...I guess it's better than "turd burglar".