Update: It appears that Sinclair Broadcasting - yes, the same company that pulled Nightline off seven ABC stations it owns last Friday because reading the names of US troops killed in Iraq "undermines the war effort" - has decided to use its national news for its affiliates tonight to bash Rall. I just saw a commercial for the Sinclair news on the local affiliate: "Why would a popular cartoonist choose to dishonor Pat Tillman on the same day as his memorial service?"

Anyone who bets the answer is anything beyond "Because Ted Rall is a liberal who hates America" is a sucker.

Update 2: Aha, Sinclair found its target through Drudge, who highlighted the cartoon and linked to MSNBC's distribution. Editor & Publisher reports that MSNBC actually pulled the cartoon. Rall told E&P that anyone who voluntarily goes to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan "is fighting for an evil cause under an evil commander in chief."

"Tillman gave up millions of dollars," Rall added. "To that extent I think he's admirable, but the cause is not. ... He would have been a better person and a better husband if he took the $3.6 million and played football and left the poor and beleaguered people of Afghanistan and Iraq alone."

You know, reading Rall reminds me that people on the left defend freedom of speech extensively, but sometimes seem afraid to use it. Rall isn't. I don't think I agree with him on all this, especially with the idea that people should have seen through Bush's "evil" agenda on 9/12, but I can't imagine the country being worse for the debate.