Boehner tries to rationalize his party's double standard on war images

By definition, it's hard to justify a double standard.

As you no doubt know by now, the GOP successfully put up a fuss about a recent Internet ad posted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee with pictures of flag-draped coffins in it. Dems subsequently pulled the ad.

One problem: Bush's re-election campaign in 2004 aired an ad that showed firefighters carrying a flag-draped coffin from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Why is one OK by the GOP but not the other? Well, someone decided to ask this question of Boehner. The results weren't pretty. Today's Cincinatti Enquirer has the exchange:

Questioned by reporters on what the difference was, Boehner seemed tongue-tied. "These were American citizens killed by terrorists. That is a very different policy issue than American soldiers dying on the battlefield protecting the rights and freedoms of American people."
"How so?" a reporter asked.

"How so? You want me to describe the difference between men and women of the military out there defending the American people, and victims - victims - of terrorist activities?" Boehner asked.

"They were both killed by opponents, right? Terrorists or Islamic insurgents?" a reporter pressed.

An exasperated Boehner said: "The World Trade Center victims were victims of a terrorist act here on our shore and I think all Americans were appalled that this did in fact happen. But I think the differences, in terms of the images, are as clear as night and day."

Is he trying to say that it's okay to use images of Ground Zero because Americans were "appalled", while in Iraq, they're, um, not that appalled that we've lost 2,552 American soldiers and counting?

Yeah, not that clear.

What's clear to me is that the GOP doesn't like Democrats graphically reminding Americans the real cost of Republican "governance".