IT’S GETTING UGLY: Pro-Bush blogger Matt Margolis was beaten up at an anti-Bush rally.

UPDATE: Reader Greg Miskin emails:

Something I never wanted to believe seems to be playing out daily: the Democratic party has been overrun by totalitarians. The party is marginalizing old-guard Dems who might (might!) hold differing opinions but who also could be counted on for civility and a rational basis for their arguments. . . .

There is no room for dissent, discourse, debate. My experience is that people behave this way when they hold indefensible beliefs, and they know just how weak their position is. A dog with this behavior is called a “fear-biter” and I can think of no better description for these people.

I guess it’s the 1930s again in more ways than one.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Miskin’s view seems borne out by this comment posted by “Hot Dem 1” on Margolis’s blog:

Hitler had his beliefs, just like Matt has his. Sometimes violence is the only way to show people how devastatingly bad their ideas are. When society is so distraught about policy that individuals feel the need to take violent action, revolution is not only expected, but neccessary. I’m no union man, but I’d have probably taken a swing at you too.

As the devolution of the Left continues, it’s probably a poor historical moment for leftists to assert that “violence is the only way to show people how devastatingly bad their ideas are.”

MORE: A followup post, here.

STILL MORE: Willow has further thoughts.

MORE STILL: And read this response:

I think the more revealing aspect of Hot Dem’s comment is what it tells us about when the left finds violence acceptable. Imagine, for example, a despot who oppresses the population of an entire nation. Women are raped. Children are murdered. Political opponents are fed into shredders or steamrolled underneath the asphalt of new road construction. Stipends are paid to the families of suicide bombers who kill and terrorize the innocent. The left’s response to such a despot is that we must negotiate. Endlessly. Using force against him without French permission is a violation of international law. If, hypothetically, the despot’s two sons were to be killed in a military engagement, we should put the soldiers who killed him up for war crimes.

But if someone dares to express a viewpoint that the left finds disagreeable, well then by gum it’s time for a bit of the old ultra-violence!

Read the whole thing. “Ultra-violence” is a bit strong for what happened here, but the point about what gets people angry stands.

EVEN MORE: Philosoraptor: “We have very little control over what Republicans and Bushies do, but we have at least a tiny bit of control over what our side does. Perhaps Senator Kerry should give our side a good talking-to…”