[jyl]

I read this a couple times, trying to discern what point he is making.

When you strip out all the rhetoric, the factual points are:

1. Clinton, who did not serve in Vietnam, defeated Bush Sr and Dole, who did serve in WW2.

2. Limbaugh, Hannity, Cheney, Dean, and the author all avoided serving in Vietnam, mostly through student deferments.

3. Kerry got student deferments, then served in Vietnam.

So what is so interesting about these facts?

Suggestion for critical reading skills - take a piece like the above, cross out all the adjectives, adverbs, characterizations, opinions, analogies, and parentheticals. Boil it down to the core of nouns, verbs, and factual statements. Then see if what is left is worth reading.

I usually find that most Op-Ed pieces, from the left and the right, fail this test. They tend to be lots of adjectives and opinions draped on very little "core". The writings of the skinny blonde gal - Coulter? - that get posted here occasionally are a great example.