Gosh. Doesn't really seem like he deserves it.

What do you think? Will we come to his defense?

He is one of the best political cartoonists we have in this country.

Consistently hilarious and spot on, Fiore also doesn't shy away from controversy, choosing instead to engage in, and encourage discussion across the political spectrum, while making you laugh too.

To all of you who have written emails and comments, I really wish I could respond to every one of you. I truly appreciate your taking the time to write, even if we may be on different sides of the political fence. If there is one thing that my politically mixed San Francisco/Idaho background has taught me, it is benefit of continuing a discussion even if you don’t agree. Too often these days, the Left and the Right immediately shut down if you are deemed to be from the opposing camp. Here’s to good discussion even if we don’t agree. Now please don’t kill me :-)

Send Mark some love today and check out his other fine work and a description of what is going on today here.

UPDATE: It appears the Flying Monkey Brigade was sent by. . .wait for it. . .Fox News' own Bill O Reilly!

Ken Rudin over at NPR's Policial Junkie has the backstory.

UPDATE 2: Just to be "fair and balanced" here is a high-minded explanation of the wingnut outrage. (Short version. They hate satire.)

From that site...

We live in seriously challenging times – times that warrant serious conversations on the state and direction of our nation. From the fiscal crash course our nation is on to the ever-present threat we face from Islamic terrorism, there’s plenty of fodder for constructive political discourse.

Read this heartfelt call for satirical leniency on the Teabaggers because we live in "times that warrant serious conversations." That's pretty funny coming from the same people who spent the entire summer of 2009 disrupting (and possibly ruining forever) the venerable American institution known as the Town Hall Meeting with your Congress member.

How do they say on SNL... "Really?!!"

Frankly, I think Fiore let the teabaggers off easy. If you really want to see some rough teabagging satire, check out what MAD TV did. (The show was recently cancelled by Fox, perhaps they stepped over the line?)

UPDATE 3: Best comment over at Mark's blog.

Perhaps when the teabaggers stop calling Obama a Socialist, Nazi, Muslim, etc. and the Democratic Party the Democrat Party I'll stop calling them teabaggers.

UPDATE 4: (h/t skeezixwolfnagle)

One Final Note:

Wouldn't Teabagger activist anger be better aimed at the GOP consulating firms who are ripping them off?