Pot, Kettle, Red

U.S. Democrats seem to have taught the European Left the reflexive accusation game:

Socialists and conservatives in the European Parliament have accused each other of cosying up to Tunisian ex-dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, with senior figures in the French political establishment also tainted by association.

Left-wingers and human rights organisations have been strident in their criticism of conservatives such as French President Nicolas Sarkozy for his government's close ties and support of the ousted Tunisian leader.

But on Tuesday (18 January), after it was revealed that Mr Ali's political party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), was a member of the Socialist International, the global alliance of centre-left parties, the RCD was expelled.

This being Europe, the best you can get is the mindless pap of an “all sides are guilty” (but innocent in their child-like ignorance) angle out of the headlines. The other flight-of-fear specious assertion is to call the Socialist Internationale “center-ANYTHING”, since the membership are engaging in the usual evasion: trying to re-brand their leftist-dictator erstwhile butt-buddy a “pro-US dictator” using classic Soviet-era obfuscation tactics.

Elsewhere: venal Turkish crypto-Islamist thinks his country is the little blue pill, to Europe’s Limp Larry.