OK, this should totally be an open thread comment, I'll admit that right off the bat. But Open Thread is already six posts down the front page, and I've got some idiocy that needs to be pointed out, from Time's David von Drehle, to wit:
Sooner or later, most presidential administrations make some version of the Sun King's mistake. "L'etat c'est moi," Louis XIV of France is said to have declared - "I am the state." To criticize the man becomes downright unpatriotic.
Yes, that's right, folks -- less than two months in, and Obama's already "over the line". He's headed deep into Sun King territory, never to return. And how did he get there? By going after Rush Limbaugh, of course.
Of course, let's leave aside for a moment that the ol' Sun King had a glorious 72-year reign, and
...governed from the capital in order to sweep away the remnants of feudalism which had persisted in parts of France. He succeeded in breaking the power of the provincial nobility, much of which had risen in revolt during his minority... (per Wikipedia)
But don't let that stop you, it's time to point out that Obama's team has gone where no President has ever gone before, and certainly where no Limbaugh has ever gone before, in declaring himself as equivalent to the state and therefore exempt from criticism...oh wait, you say that's NOT what he's been saying? Let's ignore that too, because:
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs crept up to that line - even put his toe over - as he tried to capitalize on the anti-Obama declarations of talk-show behemoth Rush Limbaugh.
Now, to be fair, von Drehle does mention in passing that there might be a wee tad bit of hypocrisy going on here:
Limbaugh's defense - "What's so strange about being honest?" - was not exactly in tune with his reactions to Democratic critics of George W. Bush.
Is that so, Skippy? Why not explore those reactions a little bit, and give us some juicy details? Oh wait, because then you probably couldn't write an article pompously titled "Criticizing Rush Limbaugh: Over the Line?" and close with a resounding anti-monarchist quote from Teddy Roosevelt.
Well, at least not without sounding like a complete ass.