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Regardless what one may think about the various political maneuvers and current debate on the federal budget (and the towering deficit we appear to be dangerously ignoring), there is little question that Rep. Paul Ryan is enjoying a media moment. GOP presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty led a series of accolades from the right, and even some thought leaders have found time to praise a serious effort to “move the needle” in the national discourse over deficit reduction.

As if Shirley Sherrod hasn’t already suffered enough at the hands of the conservative blogosphere, the hits just keep coming. Last week, I brought you a preview of the right’s second bite at the apple, an emerging conspiracy smeary about Sherrod’s initial hiring by the USDA. Now, The American Spectator has accused Shirley Sherrod of lying about the lynching of a relative in order to glam up her personal history. I wish I was kidding.

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On this week’s Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz struck back at CNN cohort Lou Dobbs. Earlier in the week, Dobbs claimed that he and his wife had been shot at in their New Jersey home, in part due to the “national liberal media” and its coverage in the immigration debate. Kurtz and guest Margaret Carlson were skeptical.