She's not just a stunner in or out of a swimsuit with an obscure, well-practiced talent to match. 2004's Miss USA, Shandi Finnessey, supports the liberation of Iraq:

Finnessey, a statuesque 5-foot-11 blonde from St. Louis, wrote a book called "The Furrtails," as part of her aim to integrate mentally retarded children into regular classrooms. She has a master's degree in counseling and also plays piano and violin.

...A Republican, she told Reuters she would use her position to help explain America's involvement in Iraq. "What needed to be done had to be done," she said.

I'm fond of saying that world peace is possible — with universal democracy. Given that [in the other pageant], Miss America contestants are stereotyped as carrying vanilla, obscure ambitions like "Feeding the Hungry" and "Saving the Whales," this fine young woman seems to have turned the tables, matching high-minded ideals with the people working for their realization. This is a tour I'm looking forward to. (Link via IP.)

MISTAKES YOU'D EXPECT A MAN TO MAKE: Miss USA and Miss America are not the same event. This is Miss USA. [Aren't USA and America the same? -ed] I plead being male. I suppose this is on the level of outsider knowledge as "Superman was the best comic Marvel ever put out!" Thanks to Megan Householder, who may be more embarrassed to actually know the difference than I am to have made the error.