For the record, I think Karl Rove’s latest venture, for intraparty Republican fights, is a bad idea. It is especially bad if it intends to do any negative advertising in GOP primaries. (If it devotes itself only to positive ads about its chosen candidates, it’s not so bad, although it still seems somewhat objectionable.) I do wonder why “establishment” types spend so much time harping on losses by (supposed) conservatives in Senate races while ignoring the losses by establishmentarians Rehberg, Berg, Thompson, Allen (I like Allen, but that’s not the point), Lingle, Wilson, and others — and why establishmentarians don’t give credit to the right for Rubio, Cruz, Johnson, Lee, and others.

But that said, there is no exuse — zero, zilch, nada — for this. The Tea Party Patriots sent out that picture of Karl Rove photoshopped into what looks like a Nazi uniform, as part of a fund-raising e-mail. This in inexcusable. And I say that as a fan of Tea Party Patriots. But we have absolutely no business slinging around Nazi references and images — especially to those on the right, even if they aren’t quite as much to the right as some people might like. Tea Party Patriots owes Rove a quick, full, and sincere apology. I mean, this photo is sick.

Another thing: I spent three years fighting against a real neo-Nazi named David Duke. We should not cheapen the references to Nazis, lest nobody take us seriously when a real one like Duke enters the scene.

Get a grip, people. Criticize Rove if you must. But keep it clean.