Yes, Republicans, You Are the Dour, Humorless Ones

...Said Terry McAuliffe, right before taking exception to this utterly routine, and kinda funny, crack from Gov. Mike Huckabee:

During a recent appearance on behalf of Bob McDonnell - the Republican candidate for governor - Huckabee wisecracked that if McDonnell's supporters bump into someone who isn't planning on voting for the Republican, they should "let the air out of their tires and do not let them out of their driveway on election day."

McAuliffe is screaming voter suppression:

"Let's be clear," he said in a statement. "There are no jokes to be made about denying people the right to vote in this country. It's not a laughing matter. This is a right that people fought and died for, so as public figures, we must be sure that we are setting the standard."

McAuliffe, who has made a point of highlighting his creation of a voting rights institute when he led the DNC, accused McDonnell of "standing by silently as Mike Huckabee encourages his supporters to suppress the vote."

I clicked over to the Think Progress blog to see if McAuliffe got his talking points there, as I can think of no other place on Earth where disproportionately righteous indignation flows so freely, unimpeded by the mossy stones of self-awareness and sense of humor.

But alas, they appear not to have weighed in on this Huckabeean travesty with characteristic inappropriate assault metaphors, and McAuliffe has let the silliness sluice forward without their assistance.

Well, two can play this game. It was not so long ago that Terry McAuliffe was taking shots with a smile on his face at 7 a.m. on "Morning Joe" to the "Rocky" theme music in the wake of Obama's clinching of the Democratic nomination.

"Let's be clear," I say right now in a statement. "There are no jokes to be made about people who drown their sorrows in early-morning shots of Puerto Rican rum. It's not a laughing matter. It is a disorder. For those of us who have paid the incredible price that binge drinking can exact in emotional damage to our families and friends, and the repair costs to our lampshades and regrettably uncovered pool tables, we must call upon our public figures to set the standard instead of attempting body shots off Mika Brzezinski, no matter how hot one thinks she is."

"I hope that Democratic leadership will not stand by silently as McAuliffe encourages irresponsible behavior and incites tragic regurgitative furniture damage. Thank you."