Now There's No Need To Be Silly

There's this big to-do because a Republican congressman quoted Nathan Bedford Forrest on the House floor. Now I understand why people don't like Forrest - he was the founder of the KKK, after all. But the quote in question is in reference to Forrest's military career, which was by anyone's definition a remarkable one. Shelby Foote called him one of the two authentic geniuses to emerge from the Civil War, after all. If Congressman Poe's quote had concerned racism, I would support the critique of him. But to attack Poe for quoting a famous general about military matters because of that general's political beliefs in more than a stretch. I quote Napoleon and Machiavelli all the time - does that mean I'm implictly endorsing Bonapartism and assassination?

Let's not engage in ridiculous smears like the opposition, shall we? There's plenty to criticize Republicans for without being petty about it.