Okay, now they've gone and really pissed me off.

CBS announced that it has rejected two advertisements for this years Super Bowl due to the controversial nature of those ads.

The first ad, sponsored by P.E.T.A., is an advertisement endorsing vegetarianism.

The second ad, sponsored by the grass roots political organization MoveOn.org, shows children working in adult jobs in order to criticize the current federal budget deficit.

"We do not accept advertising on one side or the other of controversial public issues, partly because we don't think the debate ought to be controlled by people with deep pockets," said Martin Franks, CBS executive vice president.

Excuse me? Excuse the fuck out of me? During an election year, every political action commitee known to God places advertisements of a far more controversial nature and CBS is required by law to accept these advertisements and not to change their content. Show me a PAC without deep pockets and I'll show you three old men lounging around the local coffee-shop while bitching about the Guh-ver-mint.

MoveOn.org is founded by individuals who are sick to death of Bush and his blatant disingenuousness with the American people. It is an internet founded organization, and all the money for the Super Bowl air time came from five and ten dollar donations from people just like you and me. (Okay, there were probably some larger donations in amongst them, but the fact remains that this is grass roots politics at its best.)

So, to make the assumption that the debate is being controlled by a huge organization with deep pockets not only insults the political process, but democracy at its very core being. That type of assumptions slanders the American people and says that individuals of like minds are unable to come together for a common cause and make a difference.

Franks goes on to say that CBS routinely rejects ads on both sides of controversial issues like abortion or gun-control, even though advertisements condemning drunk driving and under-age smoking regularly fill the airwaves, not to mention those sophomoric anti-drug commercials that we have to sit through day in and day out.

So, Peta can not run its ad while Burger King will have no problem buying air-time and MoveOn.org will just have to wait and broadcast its message at a time when it will reach fewer viewers.

This years Super Bowl will be sponsored by big business, beer, wholesale animal slaughter, corporate giants who pollute the planet on a massive scale and other, non-controversial advertisers. And they'll probably sing, "God Bless America," while they're at it.

Oh, and it will also be brought to you by the numbers $500 billion (the federal budget deficit), $23,920.34 (every American's share of the National debt), and 293,074,158 (the number of Americans so indebted). It is also brought to you by the letter "P", for partisan.

I won't be watching the game. Or CBS, for that matter.

Join me.

Joseph Haines, signing off from The Edge of The Abyss.