LIBERAL FASCISTS: People who stand tall for the idea of diversity, then reveal themselves to be mental and moral pygmies intolerant of all viewpoints that differ from their own — the hypocrisy was once worth pointing out because it seemed rare. Not anymore. Prejudice that fancies itself progressive is now the norm on the politically correct left. Witness the thought police doing their best to cancel a commencement speech by Sen. John McCain. A small percentage of the student body at the leftist New School has signed a petition demanding that McCain be disinvited. Check out their "progressive" rationale:

"If Sen. McCain wants to come and debate his views on his conservative support for the South Dakota ban on abortion or war in Iraq or opposition to gay marriage, we are happy to have a debate with him," Tewksbury said. "But as a commencement speaker where there is no give and take, we feel the speaker should represent the views of the university."

Talk about major league narcissism; "speakers must mirror our views." Heaven forbid that a speaker might challenge students to consider alternative viewpoints. But of course New College is comprised of students who believe that their worldview represents "alternative thinking" as such, and in one sense they're right. They despise mainstream American culture per se and so celebrate opposition to the mainstream per se. (One definition of "mainstream" is parents paying for tuition, but let's not even go there.) The fact that McCain is also slated to speak at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University makes the campus thought police even angrier. There's a certain irony that McCain's rights to speak should be opposed, given that coauthored the bill that seriously infringed free speech in the name of "campaign reform." The fact that George W. Bush signed that bill into law (hoping and assuming the Supreme Court would later strike it down as unconstitutional) is but another reason so many conservatives are thinking about sitting on their hands this fall.