In recent months, actor and comedian Paul Rodriguez has made known his defection from the Democratic party because of the party's lack of interest in helping drought-stricken farmers like himself in California who have had water denied to them by court order under the Endangered Species Act to save an endangered fish, the delta smelt.

As he addressed the 2009 Annual California Republican Assembly Convention in May, Rodriguez complained that the fundraising support he has given to environmental groups in the past has come back to hurt him and his family: "I always saw myself as an environmentalist. ... I’ve funded many of these things, I guess, because I’ve performed for them. Every time they call, you go there not really knowing what you’re backing, not knowing that those dollars are going to turn around and, and hurt me, hurt those I love the most."
The complete audio of Rodriguez's speech can be found here.

As he recounted that environmentalists compare the delta smelt to the canary in a coal mine, he quipped that environmentalists treat the farmer like the canary. Rodriguez quoted his uncle who used to be a coal miner: "The job of the canary is to, you know, we were digging and we’re looking at the canary, we’re digging and looking, when the canary dies, man, you run the hell out of there! That canary’s job is to die so you live, see?”

He continued: "And that really got to me, and I said, 'They got it wrong. They want the farmer to die and the canary to live.'”

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brad-wilmou...s#ixzz2tgS1rRhU

Yeah, yeah, these farmers have got it tough. Oh, boo hoo. Unfortunately for them, the real issue here is whether or not his Highness will have acceptable golf courses when he deigns to honor this, one of his principalities, with his presence.