Slate's had a couple of interesting things to say about American reactions to the Talimarinista. William Saletan has a few choice words about that notorious, mealy-mouthed apologist for Walker, George W. Bush, asking particularly why he feels more empathy for a "misled" white child of privilege killing Americans in Afghanistan than he does for, say, the mentally retarded black kid who he was so proud of executing for killing Americans in Texas.

And Michael Kinsley wants to know, if the rest of us get to forget about Afghanistan when the next cause celebre comes along, why doesn't our man in the Taliban?