WARNING! THIS POST CONTAINS AN EXPLICIT IMAGE.

IF YOU ARE AT WORK OR IN MIXED COMPANY, YOU MAY WANT TO THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU SCROLL DOWN.

We have known for a while now that Karl Rove's adoptive father was homosexual. Despite his labors on behalf of an anti-gay administration, the younger Rove always spoke of his father with "fierce admiration, love, and loyalty."

Only recently have we learned about the elder Rove's fondness for piercing his penis: See here and here. (Thanks to a reader for bringing these pieces to my attention.)

"Karl Rove's father was not only gay, but a part of the early body piercing scene and a regular at 70s piercing parties...

Karl's dad -- his name was Louie -- was a cover model for a journal called PFIQ -- Piercing Fans International Quarterly.

The rather explicit image below comes to us by way of BMEzine. (The "BM" stands for Body Modification.) That esteemed periodical presumably acquired the image from an old issue of PFIQ.

Originally, I balked at reproducing this picture. Some of you may be at work, while others may be not find this photograph the most pleasant thing to look at while eating Post Toasties.

But I feel that the public has a right to know the truth about the Rove family. After all, Karl has long used "family values" as a cudgel against Democrats. John Kerry would be president today if fear of sexual "deviance" had not mobilized the religious right.

Let me also stress that what bothers me here has nothing to do with either sexual identity or body modification. A few girlfriends back, I used to know a lady with pierced nipples, which I found rather sexy, especially when she wore those rings with the little black skulls. (Okay, so the goth thing is one of my weaknesses.) I'm hardly in a position to be judgmental about personal choices of this sort.

What bugs me about Rove is the hypocrisy. We all know how he would use such photographs against a political enemy. Turnabout is fair play.

So without further ado....

....herrrrrrrrrre's Louie!