Daschle, Flush and Little Mickey

The person I'd like to hear on the Daschle v. Flush dust-up is missing in action. Remember when Little Mickey Kaus was pulling his hair out with worry that nasty ol' Media Whores Online would incite its readers to violence? Did Kurtz, Bozo or even Flush himself rise to the defense of MWO and characterize Mick's comments as slander? Yeah, right.

Let's revisit Peewee's prior ramblings on the connection between partisan speech and violence:

"I do worry that the crude, hyperbolic, ad hominem, preach-to-the-converted invective of anti-Bushies in places like Media Whores Online -- promoted by theoretically respectable people like James Carville and Paul Begala -- creates an atmosphere in which a few especially zealous followers might do something. That worry is real even if MWO's determinedly un-nuanced rhetorical style is simply giving the right a taste of its own medicine. That is, again, the point -- that a danger that was mainly on the right is now in large part on the left." (Emphasis added.)

Just five months ago, Mick supported the view that hate-filled gasbags like Limbaugh create "a danger" by provking his "especially zealous" right-wing followers. So why doesn't Kaus say so now? And why didn't those who attack Daschle now criticize Kaus back in July?

One could argue that Daschle is a leader of a major political party, whereas Mickey is just a washed-up hack sponging off old friends with his pathetic half-assed column. And that's all true. But Kurtz and Bozell are supposed to be media critics, commenting on the acts and statements of media players, not politicians.

The next Kausfiles entry will answer the question -- Mickey Kaus: hypocrite or fraud?