Typically, I apply the same rule that many other liberal bloggers use when referring to the bat-crazy, right-wing lunatics of the air waves (Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Hannity, etc.): just ignore them else be caught in the trap of forever commenting on their idiotic, fact-less utterances.

That said, the exception should come when seemingly more credible folks are in the mix, hearing the absurdities that flow from the mouth of one of these clowns and not doing anything to denounce or correct what they hear. Case and point: Ann Coulter's noxious comments at the CPAC conference, with all GOP candidates but McCain in attendance. I have yet to read anything remotely resembling condemnation from the right. Notta. And the candidates have remained mum -- perhaps not wanting to piss-off the anti-gay conservatives by rejecting Coulter's homophobic comments.

Although the left does not have an equivalent wacko contingent like the Coulters, Malkins, and Limbaughs of the world, just imagine if we did and such asinine words were spoken. The wingnuts would immediately spring into action, demanding retraction, hoisting the "how dare you!" accusations like green beer on St. Pat's Day -- similar to what they did for the "wasted" comment by Obama (and yet predictably not for McCain).

John Whiteside writes:

Here's what's I find funny: conservative friends will tell me that nobody really looks at Coulter as a serious person. With her calls for assassinations of public officials, general name-calling, and highly casual relationship with anything resembling facts, she's the court jester, a source of entertainment whom nobody really thinks of as one of the grown-ups.

But there she is, a featured speaker at this event... and there are the attendees, clapping for her.

Conservatives who like to get worked up about what they call "Bush derangement syndrome" (which is just an odd term for "disagreeing with Bush's failed policies"), or rude bloggers hired by Democratic campaigns, or anonymous comments on liberal blogs, should be asked to hold their thoughts until they can explain Coulter's presence in anything resembling serious - or even just adult - conservative circles.

Those who happily cheer on someone while she suggests that a Senator should be shot, a Supreme Court justice should be poisoned, and that a presidential candidate is a "faggot" have no credibility when commenting on the civility or appropriateness of anybody else's words.