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>>...But with the war in its waning hours, all is quiet on the western coast -- leading conservatives to suggest that Garofalo and her fellow travelers are in full retreat from a public backlash and feeling chastened by a swift American victory...<<

They're not chastened at all.

They're snakes who've slithered back into their holes for awhile. After a time they'll be back.

You'll remember that the libs did this back on September 11, 2001.

After a time, they came slithering out of their holes to spew their venom once again.

I know, and you know, that the "liberal" left in this country is not humiliated one whit. This is merely an unexpected detour in their march to dismantle the existing structure of the United States, using every available means at their disposal. So far, depending on Islamic militancy as a tool to expose the military and diplomatic weakness of the Bush Administration has proved to be somewhat unsatisfactory, so they will have to sharpen their knives and wits to enter into another aspect of the reconstruction of Iraq, in which it could possibly be demonstrated that George W. Bush is in over his head.

Islamic fundamentalism is a much different beast than the old Soviet model of Communism, however, and they may never be able to use the coming interactions to their advantage.

They're not chastened at all. They're snakes who've slithered back into their holes for awhile. After a time they'll be back.

So true. Thosed with existing or potential careers have slithered away for one reason only: their agents and managers have advised these numbskulls that after 9-11 and with the advent of the Internet, Fox News and other "fair and balanced" media, spouting their empty-headed drivel is tantamount to commercial suicide. They are probably referring to this as "The Dixie Chicks Phenomenon."

Failed or has been celebrities (Mike Farrell, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Ed Asner, Janeane Garofalo, Jessica Lange) with tin ears have gotten the commercial knife, and producers, distributors and any one else financially involved are avoiding these albatrosses. And the folks with a lot to lose--the agents--are tackling the still bankable personalities and entertainers before they can bump into an open mike.

Oh you'll still hear some of these folks speak out. They will fall into three categories: (1) the incurably vain and stupid, like George Clooney, Barbara Streisand, Danny Glover, Loretta Swit, Jill Clayburgh, Harry Belafonte, Jane Fonda, Robert Altman, etc.; (2) the vast majority of the rest of the leftist Hollywood crowd, who will seize on a less consequence-threatening mantra, like the "chilling of dissent" as being a bad thing (without openly criticizing America); and (3) the celebrities who make their living exclusively off of the 30% who will always hate anything conservative and pay to read-see-hear "entertainment" that panders to their idiotic notions (see, e.g., Michael Moore). The category 2 idiots can still pose, and without much career risk; the category 1 dolts will get to hog the headlines and feel the wrath of the newly-aware and expressive consumer.

You can already see a lot of the former category 1 morons scurrying to category 2. These are folks who still have decent career propsects and have been ordered to STFU by their agents, the studios, the labels or whomever holds the purse strings. Examples include Alec Baldwin (he wants his corporate voice over gigs), Julia Roberts, Ben Affleck (the crown price of phonies), Ed Harris (he's high-tailed it in a hurry), Kirsten Dunst, Ethan Hawke, Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt. I hesitate to put Harrison Ford in this latter category, as his recent outbursts have seemed almost demented.

The only "snakes" that will slither in the open for a while are the few category 1 dunces and the usual cast of has been celebrities, like the vapid Mike Farrell.