Post-script

As an addendum to last night's link to Glenn Greenwald's piece, that fight between Alabama senators is taken as "proof" of Republican toughness and virility.

All right, the Democrat didn't hit him back. I mean, they say that Democrats are weak on defense, but that was ridiculous.

...

[T]he senator who was hit has not ruled out filing charges. And, again, he was the Democrat; I'm just saying what they do -- what they say.

Right. If a 70-year old man shows that he's left grade school behind by not engaging in fisticuffs, that's proof that he's the one not to be taken seriously. The Republican emphasis on cowboy / vigilante-style, tough guy behavior -- not to mention the media's fawning over such adolescent fantasies -- is ludicrous.