Phantom-- wahoo hit the nail on the head. They may look like asses (in fact, let's just cut the "may" out of that sentence while we're at it), but they, and therefore their issue, is getting significant press coverage, and in America too. Sure, they compromise their own personal dignity doing it in this way, but if we're talking intelligently about then they're proving the maxim that there's really no such thing as bad press.