HOPEFULLY, THE LAST WORD ON THIS WEEKEND'S FAR RIGHT HATEFEST, CPAC-- McCAIN WAS THE WINNER BY A LANDSLIDE

McCain was the big winner at the CPAC ho-down this past weekend. That's because he was smart enough to steer clear of this celebration of psychosis, right-wing bigotry and hatred. McCain had the good sense, certainly not demonstrated by any of the other rightists trying to claw their way into the presidency, to put as much distance as he could between himself and the lunatic fringe of GOP politics-- the Coulters and Malkins and Liddys.

According to today's Moonie Times Maryland's losing senatorial wingnut, Michael Steele, and disgraced former House Speaker New Gingrich were the big winners, while Giuliani pulled off "the biggest coup" and James Gilmore "was the biggest surprise." Steele was mobbed by whitebread rightists who mostly-- according to the Moonie paper-- wanted their photos taken with him. Perhaps none had ever met a real live black person before? Giuliani's coup was apparently not getting boo-ed off the stage and Gilmore's "surprise" is that people remembered him or his speech or something. That Romney won the straw poll meant nothing since he is now considered Toxic Ann Coulter's Candidate of Choice and will forever be tarred with the stench of her vicious bigotry. Right wing loons may distrust him because he's a Mormon but normal Americans have a reason to distrust him too-- over and above the fact that he's the silliest flip-flopper in American politics-- and that is that he's Coulter's anointed one. Even far right bloggers felt compelled by some lingering sense of decency to write a letter to the American Conservative Union and the CPAC sponsors urging them to dump Coulter. "The Age of Ann has passed. We, the undersigned, request that CPAC speaking invitations no longer be extended to Ann Coulter. Her words and attitude simply do too much damage." (Anyone know if Romney has signed?)

According to the official GOP propaganda outlet, Fox "News," conservatives are still angry that Rudy McRomney isn't far right enough and no one is catering to their psychotic demands and "they're not going to take it anymore." Let's hope they resurrect their dream ticket: Macacawitz/Santorum (in either order).

McCain didn't have a bad week and the discretion and foresight he exercised in keeping away from the maniacs' convention was probably the best thing he could have done to distinguish himself in the eyes of normal Americans from the Ann Coulter Wing of the Republican Party, which has been, alas, the dominant wing and the wing that has caused Americans to turn away from the party in the millions.