Gary Mitchell identified himself as a member of the "Thunderheads" before launching into a raunchy tribute to Hillsborough Commissioner Ronda Storms during a public hearing Wednesday. Thunderheads. Storms. Get it? But Mitchell also is a temporary, part-time cameraman for the county government's television station. On Thursday, he was fired.

His boss, county communications director Mike Foerster, said Mitchell's performance was "offensive, disrespectful, unprofessional and unbecoming" a county employee. "I can't have someone working for me who exhibits such outrageous contempt for decency, and for our government," Foerster said.

Mitchell, 61, said his rights have been violated, adding yet another wrinkle to the free-speech debate over public access television that has been raging for several weeks. He is consulting an attorney who works with strip club king Joe Redner to determine his options.

"I think they're trying to tell me I have to give up my rights as an American citizen just because I'm an employee of the county," Mitchell said. "I don't think that's right.

Mitchell was making $9 an hour at the county, where he was been working for about three years. He also appears on a weekly call-in show on public access television called Chuck Roast. He was not on the county clock when he made his remarks.

Storms said she played no part in Mitchell's firing, and didn't want to risk affecting the decision by reacting to it. Foerster said the firing was his decision alone.

Meanwhile, Storms has continued monitoring The White Chocolate Show, the latest version of the cable program that precipitated her campaign against obscenity on public access television.

A Storms cutout puppet has become one of the show's new "stars." It spends most episodes reacting to a barrage of sexual profanity, insults and what Storms considers violent threats.

She has asked State Attorney Mark Ober to bring obscenity charges against Charles Perkins, the show's producer. Ober is still evaluating her request. Storms also is seeking to yank the station's funding, arguing that several of the shows violated its contract with the county.

About two dozen people showed up at Wednesday's commission meeting to weigh in on the matter. Mitchell, who sat with Storms supporters and two seats away from the commissioner's husband, was the first to speak.

He identified himself as a member of the "Thunderheads," pointing to a sign with that name taped to the beret he was wearing. He said the group offers support to political candidates. One of their favorites, he said, is Storms.

"She is wonderful in every way," Mitchell said. "We have the highest regard for her."

But he said the group lately has been trying to understand Storms' "preoccupation with other women's vaginas." He said it has caused the group's meetings to degenerate into debates over how to identify Storms - as "Vagi," or "Gina," which he pronounced JY-na.

Mitchell said he wanted to know Storms' preference, at one point asking her if she minded if he called her "Vagi," though he said his own preference is "Gina." He never broke a smile.

Commissioners looked on in disbelief. Storms betrayed no emotion as she stared at him.

Mitchell was beginning to explain the group's "thunder wave," which simulates oral sex, when commission chairwoman Pat Frank told him his time was up. Frank faced criticism after the meeting from Storms supporters who said she should have stopped him sooner.

Frank said she didn't because she was so stunned. "I never expected anybody to come up and do that," Franks said. "I terminated it as quickly as I could."