Rule #1: NEVER CAVE TO BULLIES AND BIGOTS.

That should be engraved backwards on the forehead of every Democrat who runs for public office, so they’ll see it in their mirrors first thing every morning.

Then we wouldn’t have to put up with seeing stories like this.

If Edwards caves on this, I can’t support him — and I’ve liked him up to now. But if he’s going to cave to Republican bigots who will never vote for him, there’s no point in backing him because anyone who would cave so readily to bigots doesn’t have what it takes to win, and isn’t smart enough to realize what Churchill knew: that appeasing Nazis doesn’t work. If anything, it emboldens them, because they know you’re an easy mark.

UPDATE: As Atrios and Media Matters note, if we’re going to put campaign bloggers under a microscope, John McCain’s hired gun wouldn’t come off looking too well.

And looky here — ABC’s Terry Moran writes an article bashing Edwards and Amanda and Melissa, yet doesn’t mention that his own brother has a right-wing blog that sets new lows for vileness.

UPDATE 2: Wow, looks like Bill Donohue calls women “bigots” all the time.

Just look what he said about Barbara Walters today — he called her a bigot, too — and in language very similar to what he used against Amanda and Melissa.

And here he is again:

Catholic League president Bill Donohue said lesbians were “something I’d expect to see in an asylum, frankly” when he spoke to Justice Sunday, a gathering of far-right evangelical Christian activists.

Why should we enable him by taking him seriously?