These distraction tactics drive me insane. Focus should not move from the people actually running for office. No one is voting for Michael J. Fox or Rush Limbaugh. They may be personifications of the polarization on specific issues, but don't get distracted by the bright, shiny objects. It is not the politicians making these statements, it is entertainment personalities. This dialogue should be reported in People magazine, they will never be running the country (although they may testify before congress - again something I don't really understand), they are expressing an opinion and irrelevant to the voting process.
Sure, one could say that this controversy has brought more focus to Claire McCaskill's Senate campaign, but is she a one-trick pony? Is this the voice or view of Democrats everywhere? Bringing this to a national level trivializes the voting process. Is this the only issue she has an opinion on? Does every Dem candidate hold the same position? So what are the national news teams reporting? What are people basing decisions on?