DO NOT FEED THE PROFESSIONAL VICTIM

Come on, folks -- simple common decency. That's the first reason not to do things like this:

A man was arrested for throwing tomatoes at Sarah Palin during her book signing on Monday at the Mall of America.

Jeremy Olson, 33, allegedly threw two tomatoes from the second balcony, however did not come close to hitting Palin.

Bloomington Police report that Bloomington Commander Mark Stehlik was struck in the face with one of the tomatoes and may face charges for assaulting a police officer....

Beyond that, remember that wingnuttia will never forget. Palin, in particular, will never forget. Palin has been compiling an enemies list to rival Nixon's -- Katie Couric, Andrew Sullivan, Steve Schmidt, David Letterman -- and this guy is now on it permanently. No, check that -- we are now on it permanently, for (in the latest addition to her multi-count indictment) what he did. That will be the message from the GOP and Palin noise machines -- that this is how "the left" treats its ideological opponents. What the hell do we get out of that? More sympathy for her? A lessened sense among the general public that she's a laughingstock because incidents like this garner sympathy for her? That helps us?

Attack her on ideas, attack her on stupidity, attack her on temperament -- but please, for the love of God, don't do things like this. They're nasty and stupid in the first place -- and they are nourishment for the professional victim party, the GOP, and its quintessential professional victim, Sarah Palin.

Years from now, Palin and her acolytes will still be waving the bloody tomato.