If I had a nickel for every time a Dean supporter referred to Kerry as spineless, I'd have enough for a pretty good night out on the town.
But it's always struck as a particularly tone-deaf metaphor to use.
If I was attacking a candidate who'd fought in Vietnam with bravery, while my own candidate had received a medical exemption from the draft for a bad spine, I think that's the last metaphor in world I'd want to use.
Most Dean supporters are pretty reasonable people, but there are some real mouth-breathers out there.