Enough Is Enough

The more I see the Hillary Clinton camp about as touchy as an armadillo, attacking Barack Obama at every opportunity and being disingenuous in doing so, the more I see her sinking into the same irrelevance that did in Mario Cuomo in 1988 and John Glenn in 1984. I mean, what the hell is this?

Senior advisers to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama clashed intensely tonight at a forum for campaign managers here over the positions of the two candidates on the war in Iraq and the tactics being used by both campaigns.

The exchange occurred during what had been a civil – even placid – forum among senior advisers for three of the Democratic presidential contenders at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

The argument grew so heated that it silenced a room packed with students, faculty and reporters. It ended when Jonathan Prince, the representative of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, shushed them to quiet down.

Fellas, pipe down. The Clinton campaign has been at this for a couple weeks now, even breaking out the Big Dog to claim that Obama wasn't as fully against the war as he's claiming now. ABC News looked at the record and isn't buying it.

The real point, however, is, WHO THE FUCK CARES? Taking someone else's quote and massaging it to fit your needs is not the stuff of champions. Those who are against the war should be using their position as a candidate for President to articulate against the war, loudly and forcefully. They should pull themselves off the campaign trail to do it, and hold daily press conferences on their progress; I guarantee the media will cover it.

This is really a load of nonsense and it seems to me that the Clinton camp is not ready for prime time. They so expected a coronation that they are lashing out at anyone that dares challenge them. It seems defensive even though it's an offensive posture. And the Obama camp doesn't come off looking much better.

I am really trying hard to ignore all this campaign stuff 20 months out but this jumped out at me as annoying. And for the record, Clinton and others have articulated real positions that would be beneficial for the country. I liked what Hillary had to say about the subprime mortgage debacle. And Senator Dodd made a principled and earnest stand to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Even Bill Richardson struck a blow for state's rights and proper medical treatment by pushing for a medical marijuana bill in his home state. More of that, less useless sniping, please.

UPDATE: Absolutely right.

Free campaign advice to the Clinton and Obama campaigns:

Every public disagreement, no matter how serious or valid, will be portrayed as CNN is doing it now as a trivial schoolyard "spat." As it is only March, 2007, this gives them many months to infantilize and trivialize you as much as possible. By next year, all the public will know about you is that you are very silly people who have regular temper tantrums about nothing.

Thanks for hurting America, you two.