I posted this morning that Joel Stein would get letters about his Warriors and Wusses column on the Times op-ed page. Reuters has moved a story quoting Stein saying he has been "bombarded" with hate emails. Conservative websites are pummeling the ostensible humorist—Michelle Malkin calls him one of the most loathsome people in America—but Stein sounds convinced it will blow over.

"They're telling me to leave the country, which sounded good at first because I thought they meant a vacation. But they didn't mean a vacation," he said. The columnist said he suspected the reaction was largely fueled by the Web sites, adding: "My guess is that it will die down pretty quickly."

Stein said he had long considered the issue and that whenever a politician opposes the war but supports the troops "I just always think they are covering their ass."

Asked if he had regrets, he said: "No, because I'm against the war. (I have no regrets) if this helps us get out of that war and bring our troops home safely."

It's the most-emailed entry on the Times website today. Stein also was interviewed this afternoon on the Hugh Hewitt radio show.