Lil, it is a dumb rule because it's an American rule about the English language. I can remember several grammar lessons about where to put the punctuation with regards to quotation marks, you put them where they ought to be, not within the quotation marks no matter what. So Kett and Burg are right as far as British English and common sense go. The commas only go inside the quotes when you are breaking up a sentence with something like "said Lil"
e.g "Looks like lovely weather," said Lil "for the time of year."
Not when you are listing separate items that need quotes around them.

What you have to remember is that much American spelling and many American grammatical rules were simplified so as to teach the language to immigrants having English as a second language. So it was dumbed down ;\)

if we can be sufficient to ourselves, we need fear no entangling webs
Erica Jong