Jennifer Rubin is using the fresh horror of the Washington Navy Yard massacre to take cheap shots at President Obama and make petty, insignificant, and ultimately false political arguments. Writing on her Washington Post blog, Rubin swipes at the president for calling the shooting “cowardly,” instead of evil:

But what we know now is that a dozen brave souls in service of their country lost their lives, highlighting close to home how indebted we are to the military. President Obama properly acknowledged as such, before proceeding with a hyper-partisan speech blaming Republicans for the lack of economic progress. But Obama also said that the murders were a “cowardly” act. Not so. They were evil. The killing spree was, to be blunt, brazen and audacious. But in the end, just plain evil.

(In contrast with Obama, she points to Virginia governor Bob McDonnell's statement that “hit just the right note,” because obviously we're all keeping score here.)

Rubin's reason for attacking the president's non-use of the term “evil” is as follows:

Yes, evil. Liberals tend to shy away from such terms, maybe afraid they'll sound like those dreaded values voters. Or maybe it's their therapeutic mindset that attributes most bad behavior to “sickness,” personal or societal. They mocked President George W. Bush when he labeled terrorists as “evil-doers.” The chattering class was horrified when President Ronald Reagan called the Soviet Union the “evil empire.”

Even in his Syria speech on Sept. 10, Obama didn't use the word “evil.” He said Bashar al-Assad's regime was “repressive” and that use of gas against civilians violated international law and our “common humanity.” He said the images were “sickening.” But evil? It's not in his vernacular.

This is lazy and wrong. If Rubin had bothered to Google a few of Obama's speeches, she would have noticed this one calling the Tucson mass shooting “evil.” Or this one calling the Sandy Hook mass shooting “evil.” Or this statement calling the Sandy Hook shooting “evil.” Or this weekly radio address calling the Boston Marathon bombing “evil.” Or this speech calling slavery “evil.” Or this speech calling the Holocaust “evil.” Or this statement calling genocide in the Balkans “evil.”