There's battle lines being drawn

Watching Wanda Sykes at the WH Correspondent's Dinner, I admit I cringed a bit when she called Rush Limbaugh "the 20th hikacker". But that's because I am aware of decency and have some morals.

But then I thought better of it, and decided she was within her rights, because Limbaugh has renounced all human decency a long time ago. Still, the right and its apologists were quick to jump on the bandwagon. From Media Matters:

At the WSJ, James Taranto is quite upset that liberals (including that "smug" Obama!) laughed at two jokes that Taranto and the rest of the GOP humor police have decided should not have been laughed at.

Taranto then unintentionally provides some comic relief himself as he patiently explains why the Limbaugh jokes were so awful:

Why do liberals find this joke funny when they should find it embarrassing? The answer, it seems clear, is that this is an example of shock humor: a genre that relies on the frisson of violating taboos. By our count, Sykes runs afoul of five taboos in her Limbaugh joke: She equates dissent with treason. She likens a domestic political opponent to a foreign enemy. She makes fun of the disabled (Limbaugh's past addiction to painkillers would entitle him to protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act). She makes light of a form of interrogation that some people consider torture. And she wishes somebody dead.

The comedy gold, of course, is that Taranto unwittingly describes, point-for-point, the Rush Limbaugh show as its been heard for nearly two decades. But over that 20 years time, how many times has Taranto taken to the Op-ed town hall to tsk-tsk Limbaugh's brand of hateful humor? This is just a guess, but I'm guessing it's a bullseye: ZERO.

When Limbaugh or the GOP Noise Machine equates dissent with treason, likens political opponents to a foreign arm, mocks the disabled (paging Michael J. Fox), makes fun of interrogation and wishes somebody dead, it's funny and insightful. But when a liberal comedian does it, guess what? It's the end of the world as we know it.

The real comedy gold is in the comments there:

She equates dissent with treason.
Limbaugh: disagreeing with Bush, "because the people that disagree with him want to lose." AND "It's about time we do challenge their patriotism. The far-left fringe in this country is actively seeking our defeat."

She likens a domestic political opponent to a foreign enemy.
Limbaugh: "every time I hear a tape from [Al Qaeda leader] Ayman al-Zawahiri or a so-called dispatch from bin Laden, whenever I hear from any of these Middle East Al Qaeda terrorists, I think I'm hearing Democrat [sic] Party talking points."

She makes fun of the disabled (Limbaugh's past addiction to painkillers would entitle him to protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act).
Limbaugh on Michael J Fox: "And it's purely an act. This is the only time I have ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has." Limbaugh later added that "this is really shameless of Michael J. Fox. Either he didn't take his medication or he's acting, one of the two."

She makes light of a form of interrogation that some people consider torture.
Limbaugh: "I just slapped myself. I'm torturing myself right now. That's torture according to these people." AND "if somebody can be water-tortured six times a day, then it isn't torture."

And she wishes somebody dead.
Limbaugh fill in Mark Davis: On Feherety joke about Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid being killed by US troops, "his words speak enormous volumes" AND "He has nothing to apologize for." Limbaugh wishes a murder occurred at Fort Macy Park, and probably still believes one occurred.

The real sin Wanda Sykes committed was treating Rush Limbaugh, for 5 minutes, how he treats Democrats and Liberals daily for three hours.

So stop whining, right-wingers. Clean up your own house before you start complaining about ours.

Bastards.