Derb – this line: “as if anyone cares about actual numbers in rhetorical punch-ups like the Kerry flap” sounds awfully Sullivanesque not only in its assumption that everyone who disagreed/disagrees with you is operating in bad faith but also in its selective use of facts. Lots of conservatives who disagreed with your interpretation of Kerry’s comments dealt with “actual numbers.” For example, lots of folks around here and elsewhere cited that Heritage study. Maybe, I’m misreading your intent, but given the recent flaps around here, that’s what it sounds like.