Though I do think that Pat Oliphant is cruising for a lightning bolt.

The real issue, though, is far more serious. The Republicans speak in tongues to the press, and the press refuses to notice.

For example, in 2000, when Bush was speaking about “compassionate conservatism”, he was in fact speaking in tongues to the religious right, describing doctrine written about by Marvin Olasky and others, in which true compassion is to let poor people and their families fend for themselves.

Bush’s mention of Dredd Scott in the 2004 debate was the same thing; it was a dog whistle to the right wing about Roe v. Wade.

This is easy to understand, but the press refuses to cover it, so it continues.