Attack of the "Right-Wing Goon Squad"

If this is the "lunatic fringe", count me in.

The LA Times strikes again. In this unhinged rant (disguised as an Op-Ed), they go ballistic about the participation of three "discredited" Swift Boat Veterans for Truth "operatives" in an "inflammatory" panel discussion at the American Conservative Union's annual Conservative Political Action Conference.

Never mind that one of them happens to be a Medal of Honor recipient who is a WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War veteran and spent over 5 years as a POW.

He and the others are characterized as symbolic of the "unprincipled, right-wing extremists" who are taking over the quote-unquote conservative movement.

What can we expect from these lunatics, you ask?

Expect to see all the old myths revived: The antiwar left spits on returning troops and gives aid and comfort to the enemy. Oh, John Murtha, why do you hate our brave troops?

Myths? Didn't Joshua Sparling get spit at recently during a demonstration in Washington, DC?

Their concern about the fate of conservatives is touching:

All this is bad news for the conservative movement, which will only become more marginal if it continues to embrace its lunatic fringe.

And they bemoan all this as "depressing" because "Americans just aren't that dumb."

Well. There's something I can agree with. We're not that dumb. Not anymore. Never again.

h/t Michelle Malkin

Update: Jason has a good smackdown, and so does Noonan .