Fair using Conservative Movement Obama-endorser Bareback Andy (and assuming this isn't another disinformation campaign by Andy):

A reader writes:

I just heard a legitimate Obama ad on the Rush Limbaugh program out of WBAP in Dallas. I was astonished, but this kind of thing shows his genius and ability to think outside the box in reaching out to Rush’s very large audience in Texas.

Fine word, "legitimate"...

Anyhow, I am curious, as always with Obama and the OFB, to know the detail.

Which box, exactly, is genius Obama thinking outside of?

Hey! Rush Limbaugh! This one's for you!

Phony Soldiers Rag

I was at the mall about a week ago
kicking it with some friends
a recruiter came up to me
and told me of a cool new trend
he said, sign up boy, and you will find
the army has changed a lot
this ain't your grandmother's army
this one is fucking hot
see, you do not have to be real
to put on a uniform
fake as a three dollar bill
is now the fighting norm
so I smiled a big, fake smile
and pretended that I cared
I made like I had signed up
and then walked right out of there

Phonies in Heaven
(a song for Rush Limbaugh)
W/apologies to Eric Clapton & Will Jennings

Would you put me down, if I saw you in heaven?
Would you lay the blame if I saw you in heaven?
I must be wrong to sing this song
'Cuz I know I won't meet you in heaven

Yep, Clarence Thomas will stop giving America the silent treatment, and go on Rush Limbaugh Monday. Even Bush flak Dana Perino is condemning Limbaugh for calling serving soldiers "phonies", so why is a sitting Supreme Bush Court "Justice" rushing to support Limbaugh in his hour of need?

Equivalation may not be a real word. But it's a real problem — quite possibly the single biggest problem in our national media and discourse.

Let's define it thusly:

1. The knee-jerk assumption that competing sides, especially political parties, are equally extreme, equally guilty, etc.

This approach minimizes public outrage when one side has blatantly or repeatedly misbehaved. It is beneficial not only to wrongdoers and their supporters, but also to media outlets that thrive on continued argument, rather than on problem resolution.

2. Treating a dubious position as arguably equivalent to a legitimate one.

Dignifying questionable claims and disreputable agendas provides sensational fodder for an increasingly entertainment-focused news media. It also brings those claims and agendas within striking distance of acceptability.

A good example of the former is Joe Klein's comparing the Daily Kos blog to right-wing shock-jock Rush Limbaugh, after Limbaugh mocked Michael J. Fox's physical impairment.

The Rush Limbaugh sex tourism meme is really getting around--and that's a good thing! Turnabout is most certainly fair play. Mike Stark even got to mention it to Rush's face--see his Daily Kos diary on the subject--I provide a transcript of the call in the comments.