Public debate has gone into the toilet

There goes Rush Limbaugh, pontificating about the mores of a woman who has the audacity to use birth control. She's obviously a "slut".

Rush figures that since the taxpayer is paying for some of that birth control, he the taxpayer should get something in return.

Rush will settle for sex videos. That's right, if the public is paying for your contraceptives, the public, or at least the Rush Limbaugh branch of the public, should be able to see you in action.

Well, that only covers a miniscule part of the Medicare budget. What does Rush want to watch on Youtube so that the senior citizen with a publicly funded laxative prescription can get their medication?

I know Limaugh needs to generate a bit of controversy once in awhile to keep the public tuning in, but this is just stupid.

Then there's Allan Dershowitz.

Professor Dershowitz has come to the conclusion that using the expression "Israel firster" in reference to a politician who puts the interests of Israel ahead of the interests of America is a manifestation of anti-semitism. It's not hard to find those politicians, or at least politicians who talk that talk, and you'll find a constant stream of them at the upcoming AIPAC conference.

It's not hard to figure out why so many American politicians are pro-Israel. Just check out a list of AIPAC political contributions. Of course the politicos taking the money are going to be saying nice things about Israel, and when they talk about nonsense like an attack on Iran that has absolutely nothing to do with American security it's fair to say they're putting the interests of Israel ahead of America's interests.

In what possible way is this "anti-semitic?"

Charges of anti-semitism are a favorite refuge of people who don't have any logical underpinnings to their arguments. When reason and logic fail, drag in the holocaust, invoke Hitler, accuse your opponent of anti-semitism.

Works like a charm.