It’s their world of false equivalence, the rest of us only get to live in it.

Jon Rust, the publisher of the Southeast Missourian, writes today in “Innuendo: Bad politics”:

…This week, people close to the Emerson campaign crossed the line in mudslinging too. In a paid election letter to this newspaper, a writer who once worked for Emerson’s husband called into question Sowers’ sexuality. The innuendo used was repugnant…

“Too?” Rust spends the first three paragraphs blaming Tommy Sowers’ (D) campaign for the tone of the 8th Congressional District campaign, without citing any examples, before he gets to condemning a paid political letter which appeared in his paper written by an individual associated with Jo Ann Emerson (r), the republican incumbent. The subject? You guessed it:

…The second point — the innuendo — is unfair and inappropriate. I will admit: I don’t see that sexual orientation has anything to do with whether a person is qualified for Congress…

You’d think the publisher of the paper would cite a specific example of a “distortion” by the subject of his first three paragraphs. You’d think. Nah, it’s just easier to wrap yourself in a false cloak of impartiality and dismiss one party’s egregious behavior with the condemnation and excuse that “everybody does it.” And then wring your hands.

I wonder if that letter by the Emerson supporter had anything to do with this?:

Jo Ann Emerson (r): wedge issues trump everything for republicans

Besides, what will all our seven year olds think? Uh, Ike, I think that cat is already out of the bag.