'They shoot horses, don't they?'

If you didn't watch MSNBC's "Scarborough Country" last night, you missed poor Juan Hernandez up against, as they say in the military, "a numerically superior force."

Regardless of your stance on the immigration issue, you had to feel sorry for Juan, who, attempting to defend the Senate's "Z visa" plan, found himself broadsided by the frothing and howling anti-"amnesty" discourse of Joe Scarborough, Michael Reagan and Pat Buchanan.

Now, that's "fair and balanced."

After Pat's seemingly interminable rant, Juan attempted to get a word in edgewise, "Pat, Pat, Pat." "Shut up for just a second, Juan," Pat harshly interjected before going on and on about how this "amnesty" is going to spread crime and disease and destroy the America we have known - in "two decades."

If the 12 million illegal immigrants are already IN the country, how is granting them a path to citizenship suddenly going to spread crime and disease?

And, the America I've known hasn't been the same since Dubya took office.

For a few minutes, I found myself thinking somebody ought to put Pat out of his misery. They shoot horses, don't they?

I tell you, dear readers, beginning with Joe's opening volley, I heard more SPIN in the first 15 minutes of this show than I've heard on Fox News in an hour.

To Pat's credit, he did apologize for telling Juan to "shut up," and Juan graciously accepted.

This is, indeed, a hot topic, but one in which serious study and cool heads should prevail.

I could not bring myself to watch CNN's Lou Dobbs implode.