In an unapologetic display of mortal hubris, monkeyesque president George W. Bush took the road less respected by using a little-known process known as “recess appointment” to install accused racist and anti-abortion fanatic Judge Charles Pickering to the federal appeals court.

Choosing to bypass confirmation, a candidate named by recess appointment will not need to be confirmed for the position until January 2005, which is fine for Pickering if Bush blusters his way back into office, not so fine if he’s ran out of town on an electoral rail. Pickering and five other nominees for court positions have been the focus of an ire-filled debate between Democrats and Republicans as one accuses the other of doing things most Americans wouldn’t approve of if they cared.

Pickering’s stellar record includes a history of supporting an amendment to ban abortion, several reversals on decisions made in his court, tendencies to reduce protection of an individual’s right to vote, and verbally chiding those who seek protection for civil rights in cases of race discrimination. The judge also has a history as a young man of supporting segregationist politics, and was coincidentally appointed by Bush the weekend before the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

Fellow Mississippian, Sen. Trent Lott, forced to step down in 2002 after showing support for late Sen. Strom Thurmond’s early segregationist presidential candidacy, supported Pickering’s appointment.

“I don’t see nothing wrong with it no-how,” said Lott at his comfortable Washington D.C. retreat, throwing a few more crosses on the fire. “I believe the nation is a better place now that Charlie’s on the court.”

Finding liberal outrage at a disgustingly reserved level, Bush accused Democrats and those who opposed Pickering’s nomination of discrimination against the widely-accused bigot.

“This is the worst kind of discrimination—against white people,” said the president. “The Democrats are guilty of what they done accused Judge Pickering of. They are biased. Against religious people, against Southerners, and against white bigots everywhere. For shame, Democrats. Hate-mongers.”

Democrats were dismayed at the accusation, and responded late Friday: “No, seriously, you got to be shitting us.”

The president replied later in the day that he was indeed not shitting them.

“Sure, Democrats believe the nation should be equally represented, when it’s equally represented by people all in favor of equality,” slurred Bush, possibly drunk on rye whiskey. “Just you try to be a white man who wants all blacks segregated and stripped of their voting rights. Then you find out who the real minority in this country is. And if you’re a good ol’ boy from a state with a history of state-supported racism who also has serious issues with women and rolling back pro-choice politics, throw into that you want to abolish the separation of church and state, then all of a sudden you find out who really wants equality. Not you—and definitely not the Democrats.”

Representatives of the Democratic party could not be reached for further comment, but insiders say they were anxious to find out if Bush was really shitting them or not.