Rember back in 2000, when someone in the Bush campaign camp started a whisper smear against John McCain? That McCain had a “Strom Thurmond” problem? Here’s a screenshot of a snippet of conversation from John Cole’s blog yesterday morning:

Someone, somewhere, is starting a “when did you stop beating your wife” style whisper campaign against John Edwards. Indeed, the tabs are already picking it up. And we all know that if it’s in the National Enquirer, it must be true, right?

The thing is, who’s the source of this smear campaign? It appears that noted s/he screecher Ann Coulter is at the root of this particular evil. And, one can almost smell a Rovian sulfer smell in the background. Without editorial comment regarding the source…News Busters…

Ann Coulter did her best to drop a bomb on the October 10 episode of “Tucker” on MSNBC. At the conclusion of her interview, Ann Coulter announced (video) that the National Enquirer was just reporting that John Edwards had an 18-month affair while on the campaign trail…

Jason Aslinger wonders:

…you would think that the mere allegation would be worthy of a media frenzy based upon its recent behavior. The media have extensively covered the “bathroom sex” case of Senator Larry Craig. Before that, the media happily reported when Sentator David Vitter’s phone number showed up in the records of the “DC Madam.” Even before that, the Mark Foley story lingered for a month during a crucial point in the 2006 campaign.

There’s NO EQUIVALENCY, Jason. NONE. Craig was docketed. Vitter fessed up, and the phone records exist. Foley, well, let’s not even go there. And Newt, who served his cancerous wife with divorce papers in the hospital? (I realize that Jason didn’t mention Newt, but I just had to…)

You want to know why the MSM won’t make a big deal out of this, Jason? Ann Coulter took an ANONYMOUSLY SOURCED TABLOID ACCUSATION, and spun it into fact on Tucker Carlson’s show. And could that have happened because of the catfight with Elizabeth Edwards, who *owned* Coultergiest earlier this year? After Coulter called John Edwards a “faggot”?

Jeez. Is this the best the wingnuts can do?? Here’s one for Mr. (or Ms.) reflaux:

How do you know that Rudy Giuliani isn’t really a cross-dresser (or even transexual)?? After all, we actually have pictures of him in the act…not that there’s anything wrong with that…