But if the bizarro nature of Limbaugh’s attack was sui generis, the sheer viciousness the implication that Democrats, liberals, and anyone else who gets in the way of the conservative juggernaut is cowardly, unscrupulous, and unpatriotic has become a staple of the modern Republican Party.
Indeed, the Republican Attack Machine is now such an entrenched part of the political landscape that it no longer seems remarkable until you stop and think about the corrosive effect it has on our political discourse. And few have benefited from its toxic rhetoric as much as George W. Bush.
From a piece by Dan Kennedy which is well worth your time.