Tough week

First comes the Great Repudiation.

Then the bust of one of her "unhinged" fans for domestic terrorism.

Now the return of Trent Lott.

It's just really not been Michelle Malkin's week.

Of course, Malkin is openly dismayed by Lott's Jason-like revival. As well she should be. Not only does it ensure crappy, ethics-deprived leadership for Republicans in the Senate.

It also shoots a gigantic hole in her "conservatives zealously police their own ranks to exclude extremists " theory that was the linchpin for her entire thesis in Unhinged.

Recall her appearance promoting the book on Bill O'Reilly's show, when O'Reilly pushed her for examples on the right policing its own side, and the best she could come up with was ... Trent Lott:

O'Reilly: Do you see mainstream conservatives condemning Michael Savage?

Malkin: All the time.

O'Reilly: You do?

Malkin: Of course you do. In fact -- again, I think that this is something that the mainstream media does not recognize. It is in fact conservatives who are very outspoken in condemning fringe people, and people who are extremists on the right side of the aisle. The Trent Lott episode for example. A lot of mainstream conservatives were pivotal in decrying Trent Lott's remarks at Strom Thurmond's party.

Hell of a "self-policing" job there.

I wonder if this is why you don't see Unhinged even on the remaindered shelves anymore. It went straight into the dustbin.