To the barricades!

Today finds more impassioned pleas on behalf of Mel Gibson to add to yesterday's pile of conservative character witnesses. And they get more bizarre. Take the Rabbi Daniel Lapin, for example (via The General):

A balanced and reasonable view would be that if indeed he really does hate Jews, then he deserves respect for his self control when not drunk.

>snip<

I would rather be surrounded by people who hate me in their heart but whose conduct toward me and my property is exemplary than by people who love me in their hearts but who kill my cat, kick my kids, and key my car.

Yeah, these quotes are removed from their original context, but honestly, under what circumstances would these statements make any sense? And what kind of friends does this guy have, who "love [him] in their hearts but kill [his] cat, kick [his] kids, and key [his] car?" Is he one of those textbook Stockholm Syndrome-type cases?

The rhetorical and logical contortions of the religious right do not fail to entertain.