Paul Begala--- perhaps the slimiest Democrat since Mark Green--- congratulated Armstrong Williams as a "stand-up guy" for appearing on "Crossfire" and then offered a "God bless you for that" when Williams admitted to having crossed "some ethical lines."

Robert Novak--- perhaps the slimiest Republican since Joe McCarthy--- praised Armstrong Williams as "one of the foremost voices for conservatism in America."

Armstrong Williams--- perhaps the slimiest commentator since Robert Novak--- said he made a few mistakes because he wasn't part of the "media elite" and didn't know all the "rules and guidelines" of journalism.

What happened to my country?