Even Jake Tapper, easily among the fairest of MSM reporters, treats Fluke with kid gloves as if she’s simply a victim of history (note: I think she was an unfair victim of Limbaugh’s ill-advised and offensive attacks, but she has to be delighted with how successful she’s been over the last month). I don’t begrudge Fluke her efforts. She’s an activist and she seized the opportunity presented to her by Congressional Democrats and the press.

Still, I think the comparison is interesting in numerous ways. When average citizens are thrust into the political debate, they are heroes — if they confirm prevailing liberal arguments. When they run against the grain of the preferred narrative, they are ground down, caricatured and treated to corrosive media skepticism.