I've seen some pretty odd links here and there on Mudcat's page too. Should I judge Mudcat by those links?

meself - No, you didn't. ;-) And it IS a stupid expression. Stupid, stupid, stupid! It's as stupid as putting the suffix "gate" at the end of every new controversy. It's as moronic as saying that someone is going to "kick ass". I'm sick of hearing that someone has "thrown" someone else "under the bus". It's an idiotic expression that our mass media have turned into a cliche in order to save themselves the trouble of writing some original prose. They must think they have an audience of idiots, I suppose. Maybe they're right...or maybe they've made it that way.