Demagogue

In light of recent events-- the London terror attacks and O'Connor's retirement-- I have a sneaking suspicion that political rhetoric between the left and right is about to get hotter and uglier than ever before.

Well, look no further than Blogs for Bush. In a post that declares that dissent is *not* patriotic and that we're just a bunch of "anti-American bellyachers." Which is tame, it's not like he's calling for us to all be imprisoned or killed or anything, right?

But in the comments section it quickly de-evolves into calling leftists "treasonous" and that leftists give "aid and comfort to the enemy"-- predictable things we've all heard before. But this comment sort of blew my mind:

I hate to sound so mean, but there are plenty of hate-America leftists in this country who should be swinging from a tree for their seditious behavior. Boxer, Murray, McDermott, Kennedy, Schulzberger(sp?), Churchill, and many others head my list, with that commie Jane Fonda and her ex, the Castro-loving Ted Turner at the head of the line. Sorry folks, that's just how I feel. And I have no regrets.

Um, he wants Senators "swinging from a tree"? Freeper-tastic! But it gets better in the following comment.

I don't want people hanging from a tree, but I do want islam hanging from a tree with fundamentalist humanism dangling right next to it. Criminalizing islam, and making those who aid and abet it criminally liable, too, would hang both ideologies, and the worst vermin of both would assuredly and deservedly swing from that tree, as well.

Now that is some enlightened, intelligent discourse! Hmmm, I can't help but ask myself what other countries routinely kill political and religious dissenters?

Let's hope these "patriotic" Bush supporters only fantasize about hanging Senators and Muslims and atheists in the comfort of the anonymous blogosphere, that they don't actually want to do it in real life. Although if so, wouldn't that qualify them as homegrown terrorists?