Sarah Palin and Fox News have based their latest quarrel with the Obamas on the most absurd of topics—Michelle Obama’s White House “Poetry Night.” The First Lady’s decision to invite rapper Common to the semi-annual event really irritated Sarah Palin and her merry band of conservative followers, who displayed their knack for clever wordplay by calling him a “common thug.” Yesterday Fox News threw out the word “vile,” and last night Sean Hannity chimed in on the blindly narrow-minded debate.

"This is not the guy that you invite to the White House for a poetry reading. This is not the guy we want our kids to listen to,” Hannity said during the two segments he devoted to the “issue,” adding that President Obama, “goes back to his radical roots again and again and again: Ayers, Wright, Pflager."

The basis of this attack against the Chicago emcee—a noted poet, humanitarian, and “conscious” rapper, if you will—was falsely interpreting a 2007 rhyme into a literal threat to "burn" President Bush and kill the police. With that happening, why they messing with Saddam?/Burn a Bush cos' for peace he no push no button/Killing over oil and grease/no weapons of destruction/How can we follow a leader when this a corrupt one."

A quick scan of the line, in context, pretty much sums up the silliness of the attack on Common, who's easily one of the most peaceful and forward-thinking rappers around. No mention was made of his progressive lyrics on tracks like “The People” or of his recent, successful poetry series for HBO.

What you can respect is Common's calm reaction to it all: