Okay America, you got what you wanted. Kristy Lee Cook has been eliminated from American Idol.

I hope you're happy.

I know the forces against Kristy Lee have been gathering for some time now. I've read countless blogs, threads and emails denouncing Kristy Lee and demanding her departure.

Was she the best singer? No.

Would she have made it to the finals? Probably not.

Has she survived longer than she should have? Maybe so.

But frankly, I think Kristy Lee was just an easy target. A scapegoat. Collateral damage from viewers who voted for the most popular Idols, not necessarily the most talented.

Personally, I don't think Kristy should have gone.

Not just because she was the underdog, and I love underdogs.

Not just because she was the only Northwest contestant left, and I'm from the Northwest.

Not just because she is a budding country star, and I love country music.

But because, ultimately, she didn't deserve to go. Not this week.

Yes, Kristy Lee struggled for the first few weeks. But lately she has shined, and Tuesday night singing a difficult Mariah Carey song, she held her own. I though she was better than at least two other contestants, Carly Smithson and Jason Castro. Both might be better singers in the long run, but they weren't on Tuesday, and neither of them was even in the bottom three.

I wish America had given Kristy more of a chance. But if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Despite how much I liked Kristy, she represented the last of what you might consider the bottom tier singers of the top 12. There are no more Ramiele Malubays left. No more Chikezie Ezies. No more Amanda Overmyers. Now we're down to the nitty gritty. The brass tacks. The creme de la creme.

Starting now, America has some really tough decisions to make.

Between Carly and Jason.

Between David Cook and David Archuleta.

Between Brooke White and Syesha Mercado.

It doesn't get any easier from here on out.

A few other Idol notes:

I think we can put the "Carly Smithson is pregnant" rumor to rest once and for all. Carly is clearly losing weight. You can see it every time they show a clip of her from earlier in the season. And she's wearing outfits to highlight her slimmer look. Her black skirt ensemble looked great, and convinced me that the Irish lass doesn't have a bun in the oven.

Mariah Carey performed, and did you notice her hair? It was blowing. Inside. There was obviously a fan of some kind aimed at Mariah to give her that wind-swept look. I'm sorry, but that just seems over the top to me. Whatever respect I had for Mariah has completely evaporated. She's back to being a spoiled diva in my book.

As I predicted, the viewer calls returned this week. We were treated to another round of insipid questions like whether David Cook is single, or has Kristy gotten her horse back. Thank goodness for Simon, who rolls his eyes and is openly disdainful at every stupid call that comes his way.

So now we're down to six Idols left. Nothing but tough choices from here on out. Syesha and Brooke were both in the bottom three this week, and have been there before. That doesn't bode well for them. See you next week.

Ethan Morris: "Not always right, but never in doubt." Go ahead and write me.