The Fox News crew broke out the smelling salts when some anti-war protesters from Code Pink recently heckled Karl Rove at a California stop on his book tour. Appalled by Code Pink's actions, Fox News condemned the rude behavior.

“Who are you to silence his voice,” Fox News' Megyn Kelly demanded to know, while interviewing Code Pink's Jodie Evans, who had confronted Rove at the California event, demanding answers about how the administration, in her words, lied the nation into war.

Here's the mind-bending hypocrisy, though. Last summer when right-wing activists formed mini-mobs and stormed public health care forums and shouted down Democratic politicians, how were the protesters treated by Fox News? They were treated as heroes. When anti-Obama nuts screamed at politicians and made public spectacles of themselves, they were invited on Fox News and toasted as patriots.

When conservatives trampled on traditional courtesies and made it, at times, impossible for Democrats to engage in public dialogue, when the mini-mobs members uncorked their factually-challenged rants and unleashed a tidal waves of hecklers vetoes last summer, the crew at Fox News stood in awe. As did Rove himself.

But fast forward to today, and suddenly Murdoch's crew can't sleep at night knowing poor Karl Rove had to encounter a Code Pink protest.

On Fox News last week, Michelle Malkin, who hated Americans who protested under Bush, but who loved the mini-mobs, cowered and whined that the Code Pink incident was inciting people to violence. (Rove couldn't sign copies of his books!) But again, what happened last summer when mini-mob members marched with Hitler and swastika signs, hung politicians in effigy and some even showed up with loaded weapons? For Malkin and friends, those were just concerned citizens speaking the unvarnished truth.

Gimme a break.

UPDATED: From a Politico article about how Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) was recently subjected to hostile, anti-health care crowds over the spring recess [emphasis added]:

For her part, at back-to-back town hall meetings in Bedford and Merrimack, Shea-Porter faced consistent boos, heckles and catcalls after almost every point she rattled off in defense of her vote.

Can't wait for Fox News to have one of the New Hampshire hecklers on the air and demand to know why they don't respect the process.