Clay Aiken is in line to be named to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, the White House said Wednesday. [...]

The committee's Web site said it advises the president on issues pertaining to people with intellectual disabilities. The committee was established in 1961 by President John Kennedy as the President's Panel on Mental Retardation.

A White House press release said President Bush intends to make the appointment. Officials did not say when.

We're completely in the dark as to what kind of lobbying is required to convince the White House to appoint a reality show also-ran to such a high-profile and prestigious post. Seeing as the President recently met with American Idol's finalists in the Oval Office, however, we're guessing our leader has a soft spot for the series, and perhaps even sees a little part of himself in the show's judges—a potent, three-part recipe consisting of Simon's unpliable hard-line, Randy's inarticulateness, and Paula's unconditional love of a double bourbon sour.

• 'Idol' singer Clay Aiken may serve Bush [CNN]

Subject: DONT TALK BAD ABOUT CLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Message: I do not believe the crap u guys r giving me about my clay aiken!!!!!!!! why would he be mean to kids in only this one town of nj?? thats crap people!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u r just so stupid and jealous that he is doing soooooooooooo much better than rueben, and i think that is really gay!!!!!! so cut the crap b/c i am really mad at u people right now!!!!!!!!!!

Two more bombs after the jump.

Subject: DONT DIS CLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Message: ESCUSE ME!!!!!! I NO CLAY IS NOT A BIG MEANIE, SO U NEED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM!!!!!!!! U R JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOURSELF THAT 5 MINUTES OF FAME BY "REVEALING" AN UNTRUE STORY ABOUT A CELEBRITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Subject: WHAT KIND OF CRAP ARE YOU POSTING ABOUT CLAY AIKEN?!?!?!?!?!?!???????????????????????

Message: who do you think u r?? i no u ain't sayin crap about Clay. cus if u don't stop sayin it then i will track u down and may be inclined 2 hurt sum1. u r just jealous cus Clay is doin better than ruben. so cut the crap, OR ELSE. if u have anything 2 say about this, e-mail me @ clays_gurl@XXXXXXX.com, k?

American Idol the Magazine will launch in January/February, 2005 as the definitive viewer s guide to complement the wildly successful show—which has captured the number one spot in all of the most coveted demographic audiences (18-49, 12-17) as well as African Americans 18-49 and Hispanic Americans 18-49.

Could this be Clay's own personal Claymate? John D is Clay's stylist and hairdresser and there have been rumors about them for months, maybe even a year or so. He's not even officially on Clay's current tour but he still manages to show up at several venues with him.

Are we really to believe this? There is no way Clay has a stylist. If he did, would he look so gay?
Gossiplist
John Dahlstrom [Tv Tome]

Gee, wouldn't it be absolutely crazy if our pasty little pink boy was actually a big fat meanie? According to reports surfacing from the wilds of New Jersey, it just might be possible. While rehearsing with his backup choir from a local school, Aiken allegedly "berated" the kids, deprived them of a timely feeding, banned a teacher from the rehearsal venue, and then presented the school with a fake check for their efforts.

While we rush out and buy Aiken's heartwarming holiday album, do peruse the full report after the jump.

From: [redacted]
To: Gawker
Subject: Clay Aiken
Date: 12/5/2004

I sent the following email to everyone on my contact list yesterday. I teach English at Clearview Regional High School in Mullica Hill, NJ. It's a rural community in Gloucester County, South Jersey (about 15 mins. SE of Phila.). I initially shied away from sending this email to you because Clay Aiken threatened to make trouble for our district if we "called the newspaper." Since I've had a day to reflect, I've assumed a "fuck this little turd" attitude. Do whatever you want with this stuff...at the very least I thought you might get a mild chuckle out of Aiken pulling a musical Kathie Lee.

—————Original Message—————

Hello all.

Backstory is here.

I have the privilege of working very closely with the exemplary kids in the Vocal Ensemble at the school where I teach. In addition to having many of them in class, I interact with them as an Ensemble chaperone and as the assistant director of the musical theater program. They are wildly talented, brilliant young people. They have performed at Carnegie Hall (and will again in May), the National Cathedral in DC, the Today Show, in a variety of venues on the East Coast and in Canada, and will be featured performers at a music educators' conference in LA in February. They are the "real deal."

Earlier this week, several members of the group were invited to perform with American Idol-also ran Clay Aiken in Washington Twp. The kids spent several hours in rehearsal and sound check for this last-minute "opportunity." In the course of the day, the following incidents took place:

*Although the students were promised photos/autographs/a little bit of face-time with Aiken, he refused all of these after two excited Ensemble members tried to take photos when Aiken entered the theater. In fact, security threatened to have the students removed from the venue. The 50 CDs that the music program purchased for signing were essentially wasted.

* Aiken was extremely terse with the students, at times berating them for reasons that are still unclear.

*The road crew refused to turn down or turn off their music so the students could rehearse the music they had only received 2 days prior.

* Aiken's people promised to feed the kids at 5:30. Once that time came and went, and the kids were starting to really fade, Ensemble staff bought pizza for the kids with out-of-pocket funds. At about 7 pm, Aiken's staff showed up with ...get ready...McDonald's Happy Meals.

* When an Ensemble staff member expressed her discontentment with the way the kids had been treated, Aiken engaged the woman in a verbal altercation. This resulted in mini-diva Aiken barring the staff member from the venue, and security escorting this very distinguished educator (a recent NJ State Teacher of the Year) from the theater.

* When the offer to sing was extended to the Ensemble, Aiken's people promised a decently-sized donation to the Ensemble. A relatively ostentatious show was made of the presentation of a check to a choir member. Later, when the student opened the envelope...it was empty.

Now folks, I have never sent anything to every single person on my contact list until now. Of the thirty kids who performed last night, I saw around 20 of them in classes today. One particularly reflective young man complained, "You know, I'd say I felt like a prostitute, but even a whore would've gotten paid. It was more like we got raped." Hyperbolic, perhaps, but still an apt analogy. Aiken got credit for including local "Claymates" on stage. The kids got a whole lotta grief and not much else.