Teabagger, Anyone?

Oh, politicians and the press were up in arms over the racial, cultural and sexcentric taunts leveled at members of Congress who supported the health care bill. There were cries of nigger, spitting, jeers of "baby killer", and the generic taunts of anti-gay judgment mongers.

Except I don't believe a lot of it. First of all, in all the camera coverage of those representatives who have leveled accusations of racial slurs, there has not been one verified charge. This is not to say that some cretin didn't belittle the congressmen out of reach of the camera, but until it can be proven and unlike the press, I will not accept it as fact. There were too many cameras around. There were too many microphones. There were too many witnesses who heard nothing. Believing these charges based on the sole comments of Alinski soldiers demands a naivete that I will not casually assume.

The baby killer comment was not leveled at Bart Stupak but at the bill a rudderless Stupak limpwristedly accepted. Who should we believe, Stupak, who has the convenient opportunity to deflect criticism by playing the victim, or Rep. Randy Neugebauer who is the sole owner of the words he inappropriately yelled? We should never allow someone other than the speaker of words to define the intent behind those words.

However, the most implausible suffering felt this weekend by anyone was by Barney Frank.

Also targeted over the weekend was Rep. Barney Frank, the openly gay congressman from Massachusetts. Protesters used common anti-gay slurs against him.

"It doesn't hurt me, but it was sad to see this level of vituperation," Frank said Monday.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, speaking Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," called the racial and anti-gay remarks to Democratic members of Congress "reprehensible."

Frank has a pretty tough skin no doubt thickened by the uncomfortable disclosure that a one time lover was running an escort service out of the Frank's congressional office.

What is not so easy to understand is how the press and leftist politicians can use the term teabagger so frequently to describe conservative activists and protesters. Teabagging is a term that is used in a derogatory manner that associates the protesters as people who engage in a gay sex act. Where is Barney's outrage when Anderson Cooper or Jennifer Granholm or Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi use teabagger to describe a protester?

Where is the outrage from democrat leaders when Pete Stark accuses Republicans of intentionally killing American soldiers for politics? Where is the outrage when democrats charge that Republicans want to starve the children or deny the children health care? I don't see a lot of difference other than the level of protestations.

It is all just another sad chapter in feigning a greater level of insult and hurt than the previous salvo of hurtful words brought. Of course, Rep. Neugebauer quickly came forward, owned up to his words, and clarified that he was not calling Stupak a baby killer. He also apologized for losing his cool amid a fiery confrontation.

Apologies from those chanting "teabagger." Crickets.

Me? I'm agnostic toward the whole thing. Until leftists issue an apology for using the term teabagger to describe protesters, and until the press stops coyly pretending to be in on the joke, this whole feigned indignity act will remain just what it is, an act.

I feel really, really, really bad for you guys who've been insulted. Buzz off.