It’s odd. No one has ever disputed that Bill Clinton was prone to “purple rages” against staffers (let’s just leave aside more controversial “overtures” toward women). No one has ever contradicted the famous stories of John Kerry dressing down underlings and working stiffs with his “Do you know who I am?” routine. In recent years, many liberals — starting with Clinton himself — have decried the “politics of personal destruction” starting with Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas.

The new charge against Bolton is the old one: he’s a jerk. And no one disputes that if he is a jerk, he’s an effective one. Well, this town is infested with bosses who are jerks. I’m all for outing jerks wherever we find them. But it’s odd how conservatives are the only ones who ever meet the criteria.