6:30 p.m.

• But the big question is: What political party is this guy from?

The mayor of Tonganoxie is apologizing after admitting he sent a pornographic e-mail from his computer.

 

And he says if those who voted him into office want him to resign over this, he will.

 

Mike Vestal forwarded an e-mail to a list of undisclosed recipients, including a 6 News Reporter.

 

The message shows a topless woman and reads: "Next Monday is national female breast appreciation day. Beats the "expletive" out of Martin Luther King day, doesn't it?"

 

Vestal said he did intend to send the e-mail to a few people, but not to the reporter, who received it one week ago Friday.

 

At his home Friday afternoon, the Mayor apologized to the citizens of Tonganoxie.

 

"I hope the citizens understand it was a mistake," Mayor Mike Vestal said. "An honest mistake. And I'm very sorry. And I'm very upset. I'm very embarrassed for myself. I don't want to portray that as the mayor of the city of Tonganoxie and if the citizens want me to resign, they need to let me know and I will resign if they want me to."

 

Vestal works for an answering service, owned by his wife, and does dispatch work for the city police department.

This place is in Kansas, and he's offering to resign, so I'm guessing he's a Republican. However, the article doesn't indicate what party he's affiliated with, so he could be a Democrat. However, small-town elections don't have the same oomph when it comes to political parties (the article says this guy has another job, after all). If the area is made up of Democrats/Republicans, then most local positions will be registered as that party for election purposes. Also, one headline I saw had this as a "RACIST porn e-mail." Uh, how excatly was this the r-word? Then again, if he sent this e-mail at home on his personal computer and not on mayoral time, then OMG KEEP HIS PRIVATE LIFE PRIVATE and all that other crap I heard during the Lewinsky years.

8 a.m.

• Not sure what the legal stuff is regarding celebs and having their images sold for profit via greeting cards, but I would consider Paris a public figure so my first thought is "tough shit" to her lawsuit.

Paris Hilton is suing over the use of her picture and catchphrase "That's hot" on a greeting card.

 

Hilton sued Hallmark Cards Inc. in U.S. District Court seeking an injunction and unspecified damages to be determined at trial.

 

According to the lawsuit filed Thursday, the card is titled "Paris's First Day as a Waitress" and shows a photo of Hilton's face on a cartoon of a waitress serving a plate of food to a patron. In a dialogue bubble she says, "Don't touch that, it's hot." The customer cartoon asks, "What's hot?" She answers, "That's hot."

 

The suit says Hilton owns the trademark "That's hot," which was registered on Feb. 13, 2007.

 

The lawsuit claims commercial appropriation of identity, invasion of privacy, misappropriation of publicity, false representation that Hilton endorses the product, and infringement of a federally registered trademark. The damages would be based on profits from the $2.49 cards, said Hilton attorney Brent Blakely.

 

Hallmark defended the card as parody, which is normally protected under fair-use law.

Remember when everyone goofed on Donald Trump for trying to trademark "You're Fired"? If anything, Hallmark should be sued for producing shitty cards.