"I detest what you write, but I would give my life so that you can continue to write" looks pretty close. I'll have to see if I can track down the original. The exact wording may have even fooled me, with an MA in French Lit.
Will, what part of the famous "When you call me that, smile!" line is unclear to you? You've never had anyone say to you, "Why you old SOB!" in a friendly manner? In order to know what Jim really meant, your only choice is to ask Jim. He may simply have been suggesting that Dems are misguided, unintentionally aiding the terrorists. (As a former intelligence officer, I can verify to you that not everyone in a "sleeper" cell is fully aware of the operation in question. Just like many loyal Americans joined the Communist Party back 50 or more years ago--not because they hated their country, but because they thought Communism was the best system.)
But what we can certainly say is that Jim's "offensive" tag line did anything but "stifle" discussion. Here we are on page 5, still discussing it. Maybe "stifle" has a different meaning in some folks' dictionaries than it does in mine.
