http://www.suntimes.com/news/quicktakes/602278,CST-NWS-qt14.article<snip>It started when the Republican blogs and other mouthpieces went on the attack against a 12-year-old boy from Baltimore.
Graeme Frost had delivered the Democratic response to one of President Bush's weekly radio speeches. He spoke in favor of the government expanding children's health insurance for families that, like his, couldn't afford it.
The Republican blogs, led by free republic.com, waited about 36 seconds before starting dark rumors that the boy was a tiny socialist and his family had lots of money and were tricking the system.
The rumors were untrue, of course.
But that isn't the point. This is the point:
When are the Democrats going to learn?
The Republicans long ago reserved the use of (1) soldiers as props for war policy, and (2) children as props for social issues.
President Bush surrounds himself with either Marines or Snowflake Babies at least once a week.
The Democrats were clearly infringing here. The Republicans had every right to squash the 12-year-old like a cute little bug.
Give the Republicans a win on this one -- not to mention some credit for restraint.
Not once was the boy's picture shown next to Osama bin Laden.
And Rush Limbaugh didn't refer to "phony children" once.