Clearly, it's possible for large groups of people to have precisely that sort of asymmetric world view, where the other is wrong and is not permitted to criticize in response. the best example is modern Islam, which may be why the chalterati find them so politically compatible.

Isn't that exactly what occurred with Durbin? He never compared our military or gov't to Hitler or a Soviet gulag. All he did was quote the actual testimony of an FBI agent, describing what the agent witnessed in Gitmo, and then asked somewhat rhetorically if anyone would have trouble believing such a description was from something in Hitler's Germany or a Soviet gulag? And if you didn't know what he was reading, it would indeed be easy to believe that. He then goes on to make clear that is NOT what is America, that such behavior is an aberration. Yet as soon as the GOP got a hold of it, suddenly he's calling our military Nazi or Commie! Sadly, he caved and apologized!

And why shouldn't liberals be deeply offended and feel Rove has crossed the line? Beyond what seems to me nothing more than a desparate attempt to salvage fast sinking poll numbers for Dubya, what he literally said is that liberals have an actual motive to seek the death of other Americans! It reminds me of Coulter's claim that every liberal and/or Democrat is a traitor. Lets just pretend that tens of millions of those libs and Dems didn't fight (and die) for their country. Doesn't matter. They're America's hated enemy! I'm a liberal. I also spend 20 yrs in uniform, enlisting during wartime...Incredibly it seems most of those who attack us in this manner never wore a uniform themselves, yet dare call those of us who did traitors??!!
And as an aside - how can you not agree that he lied, or at least attempted to rewrite history? Rove said libs immediately after 9/11 wanted therapy and indictments, not war. Yet...two weeks after 9/11 85% of liberals supported Bush and going after bin-Laden, 75% supported war against Afghanistan and the Taliban. Bush's war measure before Congress passed with 534 Yeas, vs ONE nay! Its hard to see how you could possibly claim libs weren't almost totally supportive of war against terrorists! Libs didn't break with Bush's war plans until he began shifting them to a country that had no WMD, no ties to al-Quada, nothing to do with 9/11, and was no threat to us (and he let bin-Laden get away in the process!)...

Bullshit. I was there. Right in the Heart of Darkness. Liberal darkness that is, San Francisco California.

You bastards were squirming away from supporting America from the very beginning. Politicians and public figures had to support Afghanistan, that was too obviously a necessary fight. But the general run of lefties had no enthusiasm, and were undercutting us in a hundred ways. Sneering at patriotism, complaining about flag displays, warning about "overreacting," predicting disaster in Afghanistan, predicting vast slaughters of civilians by brutal Americans, circulating bogus casualty figures, and sneering, sneering, sneering, sneering.

Sorry pal, your kind of cackle doesn't cut it with me. When Congress votes war, then America is at war, and Americans should support our troops with warm hearts and deep devotion and willingness to endure setbacks and frustrations.

You leftoids, even when you "supported" America, were ready to distance yourselves at the first opportunity. And your hearts were cold. As far as I'm concerned, you are worthless parasites enjoying the freedoms won by men and women whose boots you aren't worthy to clean...

"I'm a liberal. I also spend 20 yrs in uniform, enlisting during wartime...Incredibly it seems most of those who attack us in this manner never wore a uniform themselves, yet dare call those of us who did traitors??!!"

Sure you did, Zoomie. You're a twenty-year veteran who enlisted during what war? I am inclined to think that you are lying through your teeth, because nothing you have ever posted here resembles the arguments of a military-vet liberal. Rather, you sound like a twenty-something neo-hippy punk wannabe college kid. In any case, whoever you are, the "you can't criticise my views on because I was in the military" is a b.s. diversion tactic. I don't care if you're really the ghost of Ronald Reagan.

OK, here's the challenge - here's my military background, then let's hear your:

Enlisted November 1971, USAF.
Basic Training, Lackland AFB, with the intention of becoming a "Defensive Fire Control Systems Operator" (B-52 tail gunner). But the USAF decided they had a better use, and changed me to a "Voice Processing Specialist", then an AFSC of 203x1 (later changed to 208x1, subset MA).
Russian language school, March - October 1972, Defense Language Institute, West Coast, Monterey CA, across from Ft Ord.
Intelligence Training, Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo TX, Oct'72-Mar73.
6912th Sec Sq, Templehof AB, West Berlin, from
1973-1978.
6944th Sq Wing (which went through at least 5 unit redesignations over the next several yrs), Offutt AFB (airborne duty on the RC-135), 1978-1981.
6988th/6954th Sec Sq, RAF Mildenhall UK, 1981-1984.
Back to Offutt AFB from 1984-1991, when I retired.
Participated in the Reagan make-believe war in Granada (at least he could run a war without getting thousands of soldiers killed or injured), flew primarily around the Soviet periphery (Baltic, Barents, Kara, etc.), but while at Offutt also supported the MKs (Spanish) effort by dual-qualifying, and flying around Cuba and Nicaragua (where we actually took ground fire from Sandanistas, albeit rather ineffectual).
Awarded Army of Occupation Ribbon (for Berlin), Joint Services Expeditionary Medal (for Granada), and 15 Air Medals (peacetime recce was considered dangerous, as at least two planes were shot down during the Cold War, and one crashed on landing, out of a fleet of then 18 aircraft).

Thats the brief background...what's yours Andrea?

John: Lovely speech...but typically winger, you ignored what I said: how could Rove not be either lying or rewriting history? Did or did not 534 Congressmen vote to support a war to "get" Bin-Laden and al-Quada, including invading Afghanistan? Yes, they did! And libs overwhelmingly supported the invasion of Afghanistan! Only when Bush decided to bring down Saddam, who HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11, did he lose lib support.

Oh, and don't think we won't forget that it was the wingers who spent 20yrs proclaiming their utter opposition to "nation building"...until Dubya did it. Suddenly, you guys love it! Just a bit "hypocritical", wouldn't you say? hahahaha