More on girlie men

Norman Solomon has a good article evaluating the reaction to Schwarzenegger's "girlie men" comment, and briefly looking at the history of politicians using homophobic slurs against their opponents.  It's interesting stuff and gives context to the anger at the comment.  Homophobic slurs, once the automatic weapon of pro-war politicians especially, have really fallen out of favor, Solomon points out.
I definitely see the truth in what Solomon is saying, but I don't think homophobic slurs are any less popular amongst the hawkish types than they were before.  What I suspect has happened is that the outcry against France during the beginning of the Iraqi War redirected homophobic slurs into the "safe" outlet of French slurs.  That's why the French were picked on instead of the Germans or anyone else who was against the war, because there is already a ready-made stereotype of effeminate French men.