The conservative response to outrage over Rush Limbaugh's "phony soldiers" comment is instructive, with numerous righties contorting themselves into impressive rhetorical asanas to demonstrate that Limbaugh didn't say or mean what he clearly did say and mean. Compare this to the progressive counter-response to the outrage over the "General Betray Us" ad, which I recall as being somewhat less unified and on time. I don't mean to insult MoveOn here by implying that they've ever said anything remotely as offensive as the magniloquent flatulence that Limbaugh regularly releases into the atmosphere, only to point to this as yet another example of how the right goes to the mattresses for its soldiers, especially those like Limbaugh who, despite a mile-long record of bigotry, sexism, and blatant dishonesty, is understood by conservative elites to be essential to the task of whipping the rubes into a frenzy and getting them to the polls. --Matthew Duss
