JSinger:

“Who does George Rutler think was risking their lives in the wreckage — pompous theocons or tattooed young men who wore backwards baseball hats when they weren’t wearing helmets?”

I’m missing your point here. I read Rutler’s piece and missed any mention of “pompous theocons”. I did, however, get the impression Mr. Rutler is capable of distiguishing between those who put their lives on the line (even though they may be “tattooed young men who wore backwards baseball hats when they weren’t wearing helmets”) and those of similar physical attributes who remark, of the former, “They must be sick.”