It is a price of free speech, and thus of democracy, that we can’t take Jake Tapper out back and horse whip him with a real horse. His words to Rep. Brian Mast are so absurd, coming from a la-de-da journo like Tapper, that Tapper should be condemned by acclamation. Of course, he won’t be. Mores the pity.

FNC: “CNN anchor Jake Tapper faced intense backlash Wednesday for questioning the patriotism of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Army veteran and double amputee, after Mast opposed President Trump’s impeachment. GOP lawmakers in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted against Trump’s second impeachment over his conduct surrounding last week’s riot on Capitol Hill, though ten Republicans did join Democrats to support a resolution of impeachment. Tapper, who has become one of the most outspoken anti-Trump personalities on the liberal network, slammed Republicans who didn’t back impeachment, suggesting they belong to the ‘QAnon caucus.’ ”

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“Congressman Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida — who lost his legs, by the way, fighting for democracy abroad, although I don’t know … about his commitment to it here in the United States, ” said Tapper.

Americans hit Tapper back hard. “Representative Mast, along with myself and many others in Congress and across the country, served in the military so Americans can have freedom of speech, regardless of how repulsive or disgusting it may be,” said Rep. Rick Crawford, R-AK., also a veteran.

“Tapper comments are so wrong in so many ways,” former Trump White House aide Mercedes Schlapp wrote.

“This might be the most vile thing ever said on cable news”, Dave Rubin tweeted. “Tapper was CNN’s last hope and he turned out to be the absolute worst.”

“So @jaketapper has written so many books-pandered enough on Twitter about other people’s heroic service he truly believes he has some assumed moral authority on it. What a disgusting thing to say about @BrianMastFL thankfully those of us who’ve done something can laugh it off,” said pundit Joey Jones, also a double-amputee veteran. But Mast himself spoke wisest and had the last word.

“I lost two legs for @jaketapper’s right to say whatever the hell he wants, but that free speech also protects the Republicans he is so eager to condemn for asking Constitutional questions about the election. I’m gonna say to Mr. Tapper the same thing that half of America is saying right now, hold me to a high standard – don’t hold me to a double standard. And me asking if any of these lawmakers that are about to vote have gone through any questioning, any hearings, have asked any questions of anybody, that’s an appropriate question and it speaks to the foundation of our democracy, it doesn’t diminish it.

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“We’ve got to get to the point that we’re saying, ‘This is why I think something,’ now I can say, ‘This is why I think you’re wrong,’ and we can have a real debate and hopefully you end up learning something about each other instead of just coming away with two people that are pissed off.” Mast took the high road. Good for him. He proves himself a more intelligent and gracious adult than Tapper. But then, that’s a pretty low bar.