I have often referred to what I call "The Art of the Hissy Fit," defined as the right using "faux outrage to get the media to press the Democrats to disavow or apologize for something they were perfectly entitled to say or do. Most often, it's something extremely mild compared to what Republicans say and do every day."
One example of this play to work the refs from the past was the GOP's flamboyant pearl-clutching over the Democrat's behavior at the funeral for progressive Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota who died in a plane crash during the 2002 election season. Democrats held a memorial service/celebration of life in which people eulogized Wellstone and also rallied for his political cause (as he would have wanted) with some stemwinding political speeches. The right went nuts, cynically decrying the event as being "disrespectful" and calling for the Democrats to apologize over the alleged insult to Real American values — which they dutifully did.
