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*Sigh* This is why we can't have nice things, people.

Even though the media is treating this "Fast and Furious" scandal as something legitimate, can we just stipulate between us that it's entirely a load of bovine excrement, designed to scare NRA members into not sitting out the vote for the pathetic present slate of GOPers by persuading them into believing that Emperor Obama wants to take their guns? That this level of paranoid delusion is all a cynical political ploy by a party counting on the non-critical thinking authoritarianism of its members because they simply cannot win on the merit of their ideas alone?

This is not a hard idea to sell. Listen to House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa blow right past David Gregory's insinuations that this is a political ploy and asking Issa exactly what information he thinks he's missing. Issa is looking specifically for communication within the DOJ that discuss his investigation. He doesn't care about that slain agent, no matter what he says. He wants to know what they're writing about him! That's an easy slam dunk to denounce as a witchhunt, fer cryin' out loud.

So what is the first thing out of Bill Richardson's mouth?

"I think both sides need to give a little bit..."

::facepalm:: I get that "once a diplomat, always a diplomat" mindset, really I do. But there is no "both sides" on this. Why is it so difficult for a Democratic proxy to just push back hard on something so ludicrous, so overtly partisan and call it for what it is? Why can't we have even the fraction of the messaging that the Right does so effortlessly?