Haven't you heard?

It's clear the Tribune's Kathleen Hennessey is writing from D.C. Her snide piece on Michele Bachmann exudes the conventional wisdom, and it's obvious Bachmann is a stand-in for Palin, who has inspired similar attacks, though more venomous and hysterical.

I'd say the beltway GOP was responsible for the NY loss, and it appears they may have learned their lesson. Even moderate New Trier back here in the Midwest is not willing to endorse a Dede Dem-light mush.

As for Hennessey's attempt to define what's mainstream by mockery of those who are concerned (Robert Rubin a rightie?!!) about our massive IOU's to China, or disagree with the gullible global warming crowd, look around. Those lightbulbs are hazardous, especially for children, and awfully dim, especially for older readers. It's not just the "right brigade" that is concerned, people are worried--why can't they have a choice--why must it be a government mandate? I'd say she should look for her news outside the MSM to realize what's really going on in the world.

As far as our President Barack Obama being anti-American, well, reasonable people have their doubts. About that and other things.

The tea party is mainstream. As is Bachmann. George Will:

Some of her supposed excesses are, however, not merely defensible, they are admirable. For example, her June 9 statement on the House floor in which she spoke of "gangster government" has been viewed on the Internet about 2 million times. She noted that, during the federal takeover of General Motors, a Democratic senator and one of her Democratic House colleagues each successfully intervened with GM to save a constituent's dealership from forced closure. One of her constituents, whose dealership had been in the family for 90 years, told her that the $15 million dealership had been rendered worthless overnight, and, Bachmann said, "GM is demanding that she hand over her customer list," probably to give it to surviving GM dealerships that once were competitors.

In her statement, Bachmann repeatedly called such politicization of the allocation of economic rewards "gangster government." And she repeatedly noted that the phrase was used by a respected political analyst, Michael Barone, principal co-author of the Almanac of American Politics, who coined it in connection with the mugging of GM bondholders in the politicized bankruptcy. Bachmann, like Barone, was accurate.

George Will is hardly a member of the "right brigade".

But even if he were, haven't you heard?