On the smoking out of the Left on the matter of 9/11 conspiracy thinking: What’s remarkable to me is that that’s something like mainstream on their side, and yet the story of the day today on MSNBC yesterday was the insanity of the Right for daring to question the Obama speech.

Yes, some of us were uncomfortable with the address — and some parents and school officials outright opposed it — but consider the context: It’s this president, with his cult of personality in the age of American Idol. This president, with his determination to implement a health-care reform revolution, and refusing to entertain criticisms (think “bearing false witness”). This president, with the Department of Education materials his administration issued to accompany the speech, instructing teachers to direct their students in pledging to help the president. In an environment where a video like this one is considered classroom material, the common critical reaction was not unhinged. I have no doubt that some of it was. But the mere act of questioning or criticizing wasn’t.

The mere fact that there was pushback is neither insane nor even ridiculous. But that’s not the storyline according to David Shuster and the rest. Meanwhile, there’s nothing to look at over there on the Left, except, maybe, the White House caving on Van Jones to us lunatics on the Right.