Speaking of Sycophants...

Salon's Tim Grieve found an interesting tidbit in The Hill.

Vying for the Joe Lieberman Profile in Courage Award, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer took it upon himself Tuesday to defend George W. Bush from mean ol' Stephen Colbert.

Hoyer, the Democrats' House whip, told The Hill that Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner was funny but "a little rough," with some jokes that "crossed the line" and were in "bad taste." We're not sure which jokes Hoyer had in mind, and we're wondering if he made any similar objections about "bad taste" when the president made jokes about those missing WMD at a press dinner a couple of years ago.

Somehow, we doubt it.

Bush "is the president of the United States," Hoyer said Tuesday, "and he deserves some respect."

No, no, a thousand times, no! I will admit that the president, to start, doesn't have to earn our respect. It is given to him freely when he starts out. But it is possible to lose our respect and be forced to earn it back. This president has lost our respect because he has demonstrated no respect for everything America stands for. Where's the president's respect for the Constitution? His take on three equal branches of government? On human rights? On treason in the form of war profiteering? On treason in the form of undermining our national security? On invading a country that had neither the will nor the ability to attack us? On protecting the little guy from the raping and pillaging being done by the monstrous corporations? On bribery and corruption at the highest levels of government?

When the president starts respecting the American people, we will return that respect once again. I'm not holding my breath.