Blowback!

Neocon lunatic Michelle Malkin was just on Hardball with Chris Matthews. I was on a business call and didn't hear it directly, but I have it on good faith from Mrs. Goldstein that Malkin suggested that Kerry intentionally wounded himself. Matthews apparently was aghast, and repeatedly challenged her to state unequivocally whether she was saying that Kerry intentionally wounded himself. Later in the show David Gergen expressed his dismay at Malkin's claim and seemed to predict an imminent backlash in response to the tactics of the Swift Boat Liars and their fellow travellers. According to Mrs. Goldstein, Keith Olbermann started his "Countdown" show by commenting on Malkin's outrageous claims and professing to be outraged.

Swift boat liar Larry Thurlow was also on "Hardball" at the same time as Malkin. Thurlow and other SBL's have claimed that one of Kerry's injuries was incurred when he fired a mortar into some rocks on the river's edge and was hit by rebounding shrapnel. It is possible that Malkin recklessly misconstrued Thurlow's claims or carelessly misspoke, but it really hardly matters. The net effect was that both Matthews and Olbermann reacted with indignation, thereby plainly indicating to the viewing audience that Malkin's assertions (and, unless the viewer were exceptionally discerning, Thurlow's assertions by association) were beyond the pale.

Malkin's indiscretion, coming as it does on the same day that Kerry launched a muscular counterattack on the SBL's and the Deserter, suddenly thrusts the Deserter and his minions on the defensive on an issue where they have been squarely on the offensive.

Things now get very dicey for the Deserter. He can cut his losses on this issue by immediately repudiating the SBL's, Malkin and the other rightwing haters, or he can wait for the blowback. If he waits for the blowback, it's already too late and he'll suffer the consequences. My prediction? I just can't see the Deserter repudiating his attack dogs. He won't repudiate, or he'll wait too long, and he'll get slammed by the full force of the blowback.