This is the same exact insult, grounded in the same war-cheerleading mentality, that was hurled by the extreme Far Right at Ronald Reagan in the 1980s because he sought to negotiate with that decade’s Evil Empire. Conservative Caucus Chair Howard Phillips, for instance, “scorned President Reagan as ‘a useful idiot for Kremlin propaganda,’” and published ads which, according to a January 20, 1988 UPI article (via LEXIS):

likens Reagan’s signing of the INF Treaty to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s signing of an accord with Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler in 1938. The ad, with the headline, “Appeasement Is As Unwise In 1988 As In 1938,” shows pictures of Chamberlain, Hitler, Reagan and Gorbachev overhung by an umbrella. Chamberlain carried an umbrella and it became a World War II symbol for appeasement.

According to the January 19, 1988 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, when Pat Robertson was campaigning for President in Missouri in 1988, he “suggested that President Ronald Reagan could be compared to Neville Chamberlain . . . by agreeing to a medium-range nuclear arms agreement with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev.” The Orange Country Register editorialized in September, 1988 that “Ronald Reagan has become the Neville Chamberlain of the 1980s. The apparent peace of 1988 may be followed by the new wars of 1989 or 1990.” Newt Gingrich — who today regularly invokes the “Chamberlain/appeasement” cliche for anyone who does not crave war with Iran — denounced President Reagan’s rapprochement with Gorbachev in 1985 as potentially “the most dangerous summit for the West since Adolf Hitler met with Chamberlain in 1938 at Munich.” Don Rumsfeld — who gave a controversial 2006 speech likening war opponents to 1938 appeasers (and used the same 1939 quote as Bush just used from the U.S. Senator who wanted to talk to Hitler) — has been tossing around the Chamberlain insult in order to promote his pro-war views for almost 30 years. The Associated Press reported on November 26, 1979 on efforts to oppose ratification of the SALT treaty:

“Our nation’s situation is more dangerous today than it has been any time since Neville Chamberlain left Munich, setting the stage for World War II,” Rumsfeld said at a news conference.

The point isn’t so much to say that Barack Obama is like Ronald Reagan, as to point out that the neo-con right has used the Chamberlain/Munich analogy many times over the years, and has even directed it at the man who they now worship for ending the Cold War, even though back in 1988 they were basically calling him a traitor for seeking to do so.

JUNCTION CITY, Ore. — On the day Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was endorsed by the governor of North Carolina, a supporter gave her a three-foot-long balloon replica of herself, complete with blond hair, black pantsuit and wide pink smile, which Mrs. Clinton promptly took on her plane and laughingly showed off to reporters.

On Thursday, little more than two weeks later, the doll lay on the sofa by her seat on the plane, shriveled and deflated.

A more apt metaphor could not be found, especially after the week she’s had:

With her candidacy running out of time — and perhaps air — the Clinton campaign has taken on a distinctly subdued mood.

Mrs. Clinton found herself largely ignored on Friday while a battle raged between Senator Barack Obama on one hand and Senator John McCain and President Bush on the other.

And despite coming off a large victory in West Virginia, and anticipating success in Kentucky on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign in recent days has encountered a series of disappointments, not the least of which was the endorsement of Mr. Obama by the influential women’s group Naral Pro-Choice America.

Famous for her 16-hour days, her unflagging energy and her willingness to shout into a microphone until her voice gives out, Mrs. Clinton finds herself encountering long odds and a dwindling bank account. (David Letterman recently joked that with her campaign $21 million in debt, she is at “the world’s most expensive fantasy camp.”) And the new tone is palpable.

It’s the Hillary Clinton Farewell Tour. Catch it while you can.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, was known for his sense of humor on the presidential campaign trail, but on Friday he startled listeners with his latest improvisation, an imagined gun pointed at Senator Barack Obama.

Speaking at the annual convention of the National Rifle Association here, Mr. Huckabee, a Republican, was interrupted by a loud noise from backstage. “That was Barack Obama,” he said. “He just tripped off a chair. He’s getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he — he dove for the floor.”

Here’s the video:

Late last night, Huckabee issued the following statement:

“During my speech at the NRA a loud noise backstage, that sounded like a chair falling, distracted the crowd and interrupted my speech. I made an offhand remark that was in no way intended to offend or disparage Sen. Obama. I apologize that my comments were offensive, that was never my intention.”

What Mike ? It’s not that what you said was offensive or disparaging, it’s that you thought it was funny to make a joke about a Presidential candidate being the target of an assassin:

Mr. Obama’s safety has been an issue. When he was assigned Secret Service coverage last May, it was the earliest point in a campaign that a candidate had been given protection.

So, ya know, joking about someone shooting at him is sort of dumb.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Republican Mike Huckabee responded to an offstage noise during his speech to the National Rifle Association by suggesting it was Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.

Hearing a loud noise and interrupting his speech, Huckabee said: “That was Barack Obama. He just tripped off a chair. He’s getting ready to speak and somebody aimed a gun at him and he—he dove for the floor.”

There were only a few murmurs in the crowd after the remark.

The Obama campaign had no comment.

Well, I’ll make one for them.

Huckabee, you’re a dumbass.

The good news is that I think we can forget about the Huckster getting the Veep nod.

I think I’ve held my own quite nicely, if I must say.