THE RIGHT-WING CULTURE OF VICTIMIZATION

Is there anything right-wing whiners won't portray as a personal affront to themselves?

It seems Barnes & Noble can't keep that Swift boat liars' book in stock. Not surprisingly, the liars' admirers consider this one more example of their ongoing victimization -- damn those jackbooted totalitarian bookstore managers!

And meanwhile, the real culprit is apparently the Swiftoids' own publishing house, which didn't ship enough books in the first place. Reuters reports:

Controversial book "Unfit for Command," which fires an election-year salvo at Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's war record, has claimed one unintended victim -- bookstore chain Barnes & Noble Inc.

Barnes & Noble, the world's largest bookseller, on Monday issued a statement saying it had sold out of the book and, in effect, held up its hands in surrender to what it called "thousands of complaints" from both supporters and detractors of the book.

Supporters, Barnes & Noble said, are claiming the bookseller has intentionally not stocked the title or is hiding it....

"(Complaints) started in the stores, and the home office has been inundated as well," said a company spokeswoman.

She said the company's statement was meant to "set the record straight." It is not Barnes & Noble's fault, she said, but rather small publisher Regnery Publishing who cut the chain's original order in half....

...A spokesman for Regnery was not immediately available for comment....

The GOP faithful, needless to say, don't need to be confused by the facts. Their minds are made up: They're the victims, and it's a vast liberal bookseller's conspiracy.