Our supporters are becoming more mature

Steve at Crooks and Liars spots the ever-more-desperate Brit Hume and Co. consoling themselves by pointing out how cultivated they are:

“What we have is a situation where some people seem to be reading the newspapers every day, and if there’s a big episode it shows that the strategy is failing. That’s not a mature way to look at it. And we desperately need some people looking at this in a mature way right now.” (emphasis added)

Good to know. If there’s less violence in Iraq, it’s progress. If there’s more violence, it’s still progress because the mature grown-ups say so.

If we disagree, the problem isn’t just that we’re wrong, it’s that we’re childish. It’s as if the right is rewriting the rules for stages of grief — start with denial (”last throes”), move on to demagoguery (”critics are emboldening the terrorists”), and end up at misplaced, condescending arrogance (”That’s not a mature way to look at it”).

Clearly, America's response to the threats of the world has been mature. And naturally, if you're looking for sophistication, look no further than Fox News Sunday and Special Report with Brit Hume:

Nancy Pelosi is the Wicked Witch of the West.

"[W]omen with their breasts exposed are a matter of public interest to some people."

Dick Cheney did the "manly thing" by withholding the news that he shot a man in the face.

Teresa Heinz Kerry is not unlike Eva Peron.

The Isley Brothers are more familiar than the Black Eyed Peas, whose lyrics "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" are "popular in the swing states."

War critic John Murtha has "never been a big thinker."

Yes, it's only the strongest swimmers who brave the deepest waters. That's Hume we're talking about. It kind of reminds me of something...

Marty: The last time Tap toured America, they where, uh, booked into 10,000 seat arenas, and 15,000 seat venues, and it seems that now, on their current tour they're being booked into 1,200 seat arenas, 1,500 seat arenas, and uh I was just wondering, does this mean uh...the popularity of the group is waning?

Ian: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no...no, no, not at all. I, I, I just think that the.. uh.. their appeal is becoming more selective.