Transcript up now.]

So Wayne LaPierre, the batsh*t crazy face of the NRA, held the Washington press corps hostage for a half-hour this morning, rambling, excusing and blaming video games, liberals and gun-free school zones for the 27 deaths in Newtown last week.

The crazy train was only briefly derailed twice, when Code Pink protesters interrupted the press conference (which was really a speech). God bless 'em, they only said what everyone in the room was thinking -- and what real leaders would have been saying all along.

As this mess unfolded, I found I was as angry at the media as I was at the NRA. Is there any wingnut so crazy that the librul media will refuse them a national platform? Of course not! LaPierre will be Dancing Dave Gregory's guest on Press the Meat this weekend, and he will be accorded the same respect and thoughtful consideration as a Bishop Desmond Tutu.

In a way, though, Wayne may have done us all a favor. Normal people, anyone except the dyed-in-the-wool gun worshippers, will be repulsed by his rationalizations, and appalled by his "School Shield" program to put ARMED VOLUNTEERS IN EVERY SCHOOL.

As my mother would have said, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, he's just plain crazy."

(I'll link to the transcript when it's available. You can watch the whole thing here.)