There are a bazillion other issues of substance, none of which are effected by Ann's remark. Like her written remarks regarding the 9/11 widows, this one has been siezed upon and amplified as if folks concerned about the issues will change their minds. By and large they won't, and if they do their convictions eslewhere might as well be baseless. We don't expect apologies from the left when they hurl insults. Why should we expect them from the right?
Actually, we DO expect more from the left. When an extremist compares Bush to Hitler, for instance, if other liberals do not publicly decry the remark, we assume they agree.