In Jon Chait’s hit on Bill Kristol, he wrote:

The theme of traitorous liberals is becoming a Standard trope. Last week’s cover depicted an American soldier seen from behind and inside a circular lens–as if caught in the sights of a hostile sniper–beneath the headline, “DOES WASHINGTON HAVE HIS BACK?” The Weimar-era German right adopted the metaphor of liberals stabbing soldiers in the back. Kristol is embracing the metaphor of liberals shooting soldiers in the back. I suppose this is progress, of sorts.

Jonathan Cohn, defending his colleague, doubled down on this claim today:

And then, just a few weeks ago, there was the cover Jon mentioned in his column–the one featuring an American soldier, viewed through what looks like a gun-sight, and the headline “DOES WASHINGTON HAVE HIS BACK?”

I just glanced at my copy of the 8/13 and suddenly noticed: The cover, which is shot through some kind of night-vision lens (hence the green), obviously does not depict a sniper scope. There aren’t any crosshairs! No wonder these guys got snowed by Beauchamp.