I'll admit that I'm unsure of just how much David "The Real Anita Hill" Brock should be forgiven or trusted, but his new group Media Matters is doing work that needed to be done. Their latest effort is a TV ad that more or less just rolls tape of Rush Limbaugh's "Abu Ghraib as frat hazing" pondering. It may come as a surprise to those of us that don't happen to listen to this Limbaugh that it seems as if perhaps you and I and my mother are perhaps the only ones who don't. His is allegedly the highest rated radio show in the country and I've heard said that one tracking of global Internet traffic reflects a noticeable drop at the close of his webcast ends each day.

So if it seems as if millions of folks want to spend precious time listening to someone who is quite clearly, and I mean this as an objective assessment, a dangerous jackass, I think I may be able to relate. I myself am a big big fan of someone often somewhat similarly derided. I speak of course of Eminem, who numbers among my true heroes even though I of course do not affirm as fact some of his more pungent statements. Em, you see, is an artist creating great art. It seems likely that at least some of Limbaugh’s fans somehow interpret his angry lunacy as some sort of creative riff on, oh, I don't know, angry lunacy. And, of course, listening to any creative artist is a choice, and if I'm pro nothing else, I'm pro-choice.

However, it does seem though as perhaps someone of such artistic temperament mightn't be the most appropriate choice of discussion partner for the Vice President as he reflects on September 11, 2001 on the day's one year anniversary or weighs the United Nations role in Iraq or contemplates the concerns about the state of our national security raised by a former White House anti-terrorism director. And maybe, and I'm pretty sure about this one, someone of such creative sensibilities does not so much actually qualify, in a more, say, O'Connor than Thomas understanding of the concept of qualification for one's position, as an election night commentator on a major television network. Unless, that is, we've really have finally rid ourselves of the habit of drawing our news reporting and commentating from the well of reality and fact and decency and relevance, and have instead decided to allow the creative interpretations of angry lunatics to serve as the soundtrack for what a more mature nation might regard as one of the more important nights of year. If so, if that's the choice we've made, next time around let's at least make it a party and invite Em too.