I kid you not. I was listening to NPR a few minutes ago, and she was asked to compare the potential campaigns of Hillary vs. Obama in the primaries. She said (and I'm paraphrasing)
Clinton is the establishment, while Obama is running as an insurgent. His campaign is going to be run as an insurgency against the establishment.
Her opinion was a follow up to this story.
Again, that is paraphrasing, because this played only a few minutes ago (about 7:15 am Central). I will try to edit later with a transcript, if one is available.
I am incensed. It is appalling to me that she used a loaded word that is used on a daily basis for Iraqis who are killing US soldiers and other Iraqis.
Way to use those loaded words, Mara.
Edited at 12:40 PM Central to add:
Yes, it seems that Obama's own people have used the term, which is a standard term for an outsider in a political race. I maintain that the word has become "loaded" due to its use in the Iraq war, and will become a lightning rod for wingnuts. I am going to encourage the Obama campaign to abandon its use. I hope that we can nip this one in the bud.
Obama has already felt the sting of "Hussein" and "sounds like Osama." "Insurgent" is not a connotation he needs. Most folks won't bother to go look it up, as they're pretty sure the word INSURGENT means TERRORIST.
NPR may indeed be too highbrow for the average citizen, but I will bet this meme is picked up by the wingers and makes it to Fox inside of a week. (that's week, not weak)