Spit-Take

Andrew’s back from P-town, and he still has swimmer’s ear.  From his reaction to the "disturbing" ubiquity of the "Bush is a liar" meme:

It’s more that when you start using the term "liar" promiscuously in public discourse, you make such discourse increasingly impossible. The term should be reser[ve]d only for a conscious and deliberate statement that you know is untrue as you s[pe]ak or write it. It’s rarer than you might think. That’s why calling someone a "liar" is forbidden in the House of Commons. It undermines the good faith necessary for democratic discussion. Which is a large part of what people like Al Franken are all about.

That’s right.  Andrew Sullivan is lamenting the erosion of good faith in our public discourse, and is blaming Al Franken.  Somehow, I retain the capacity for surprise at such shamelessness.