No dirty talkin'. . .

. . .for Malkin. It seems she's actually conservative about things other than illegal immigration and terrorism. I find that rather admirable and refreshing. It's always struck me that many cultural conservatives struggle with consistency -- at least with regard to what they preach as it relates to how they live. I don't know much about Ms. Malkin's personal life -- in fact, I don't know anything about it. But, I assume from her column today that she frowns upon vulgarity and obscenity. And, until I find out otherwise, I applaud her for being a more upright citizen than I am. I've been known to work blue.

The only problem I have with Michelle on this matter is that she seems a tad more given to the vapors than your typical ante bellum debutante with regard to the First Lady's routine at the correspondent's dinner a few nights ago. The horse joke seems to have raised her dander more than anything else, and I don't quite understand why. Sure, the joke is risque. But, did it cross the line into tastelessness? I don't think so. That joke could have -- and probably has in one form or another -- appeared in any Jerry Clower routine.

I think labeling it a "horse masturbation joke" is more off-color than the joke itself. It's not as if Mrs. Bush drew a picture -- though Malkin certainly did. The joke itself could have been taken as completely innocent by a child who happened to be watching, noting the absurdity of someone attempting to milk a horse -- and a male one at that. But, had a child been watching with Michelle, he'd have had to wonder what was so offensive. At that point, it becomes Malkin who should do the explaining.