Here is the problem with the Left Blogs:

I get the sense that Clinton has decided to game entirely on going after conservative Democratic voters, using the gimmick of the gas tax holiday, pugilistic foreign policy ideas, and race-baiting.

And finally, the ease with which the destructive and inflammatory charge of "race baiting" is levelled, without citing even one example of this so called race baiting, is an indication that the Left blogs are simply smearmongers now. Disgraceful. Let me quote Charlie Rangel, ironically cited in the same post for other purposes:

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Among Democratic primary voters (those who have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama’s lead over Clinton has increased -- he now leads Clinton by twelve points, 50 percent to 38 percent. That’s up from his eight point lead in the poll released just a few days ago. However, among all registered voters who identify themselves as Democrats (regardless of whether they have voted or plan to vote in a Democratic primary) Obama and Clinton are virtually tied -- 45 percent for Clinton and 44 percent for Obama. This is similar to the numbers earlier in the week.

(Emphasis supplied.) Ha! That is one of the funniest things I have ever read. What pollster comes up with the "likely to have voted" screen? Even better, what are the numbers for the people who will vote in the upcoming primaries? Do you think they polled Puerto Rico? That may be a quarter of the remaining vote. [More...]

Charlotte Observer:

The choice between Sen. Obama and Hillary Clinton is not easy. She is indeed ready to be president on day one. After two terms with her husband in the White House and almost eight years in the Senate, she knows how things work. Smart and tenacious, she offers a progressive agenda. There are many reasons to think she'd be a good president.

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In the face of some surprising and disappointing endorsements of divisive and false smears, it is important to remember the candidates themselves are much better than some of the activists and bloggers who seem intent on ripping the Democratic Party apart:

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Bob Herbert seems shocked to discover politics is stupid:

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright is no doubt (and regrettably) a big issue in the presidential campaign. But what we’ve seen over the past week is major media overkill — Jeremiah Wright all day and all night. It’s like watching the clips of a car wreck again and again. . . . We’ve forced Barack and Michelle Obama, two decent, hard-working, law-abiding, family-oriented Americans, to sit for humiliating television interviews, reminiscent of Bill and Hillary Clinton on “60 Minutes” at the height of the Gennifer Flowers scandal.

(Emphasis supplied.) I am not sure if Herbert is saying the Wright story is less substantial than the Gennifer Flowers story in 1992 but it is a strange juxtaposition. But I must say, when Barack Obama gave the "greatest speech ever" about race relations (and never to return to the subject afterwards), Bob Herbert did not think that was overkill. Indeed, just a few weeks ago Herbert wrote:

Too funny. Keith "Obama's O'Reilly" Olbermann goes to the Big Orange Satan's site to whine that Clinton went on Fox. Apparently he missed his eternal love Barack Obama's Fox News Sunday appearance. Paul Krugman did not.

Obama's O'Reilly is now as big a joke as the original. Can we rule out the possibility that he will lead with the Kantor video story? Not entirely. And no, he will not accuse the Obama campaign of being behind it, as he would if the shoe was on the other foot. For the record, Obama was NOT behind it imo and it would be irresponsible for any journalist to even speculate about it. And yes, Olbermann is an irresponsible journalist who HAS speculated in irresponsible fashion in this way when it comes to Hillary Clinton. Remember PassportGate?

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only.

Update: It appears the clip was doctored.

Update (TL): Lambert at Corrente: Smear #3: Hillary killed three Hoosiers in the Clinton Library with the Wrench! Then ate them!

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No, not just the Media. The Obama blogs too (AmericaBlog pulls its Drudge following post.)

Okay, I think I've figured this out. The YouTube clip is crap. . . . I'm not going to try for a complete transcript, but basically Kantor gets polls from Indiana. They're close. He says even if they don't win the White House has got to be sh**ting themselves. Then what I think he says is something along the lines of "how would you like to be beaten by a worthless white n*****," presumably meaning Bill Clinton himself and referencing the Bush I campaign team's likely view of Clinton.

Moral of the story? The Left blogs have lost their way.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only.

The person who kidnapped Josh Marshall is at it again:

So why is it that when Howard Wolfson gets asked about Andrew's switching his endorsement from Clinton to Obama on MSNBC, he questions whether Andrews [sic] is really from Indiana. Why go there?

Are you freaking kidding me? This is the scandal of the day for Josh Marshall? Joe Andrew compares the Clintons to Rove and Lee Atwater and Marshall has the vapors because Wolfson mentioned in passing that Joe Andrew is a DC lawyer/lobbyist? Marshall has jumped the shark. Again.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Anyone see Boston Legal tonight? It was very funny, with the firm suing the Democratic party over pledged delegates. They had a guy named "Wolf Blitzkrieg" from the "best political news team on television" who kept making a fool of himself. It's still on here, so I can't tell you what happens yet, but it's a very good ribbing of the Dems.

And yes, Hillary rocked on O'Reilly. She did a great job on health care and oil and taxes and she didn't give an inch to O'Reilly who seemed pleased as punch to have her on. He was very cordidal. He'll be airing part two of the interview tomorrow -- in it they discuss torture and Iraq.

If you'd rather discuss something else, that's fine, we'll make this another open thread.

James Wolcott examines the split among progressive bloggers over Hillary and Obama in the new Vanity Fair.

The vicious Clinton-versus-Obama rupture at Daily Kos, the most activist site in the liberal blogosphere, reflects a party-wide split. What really rankles, as Democrats tear at one another, is the free pass they’ve given McCain—and the White House.

Wolcott names many bloggers (we're not among them). Here's a snippet. [More...]

It is a bad thing now apparently:

[I]t should be pointed out that a non-profit group focusing efforts on registering unmarried women in presidential primaries has to know that their activities will almost certainly help Hillary Clinton, as that is probably her strongest demographic.

Unbelievable.

NOTE - Page Gardner responds. I am curious about this story, via Atrios:

N.C. residents have reported receiving peculiar automated calls from someone claiming to be "Lamont Williams." The caller says that a "voter registration packet" is coming in the mail, and the recipient can sign it and mail it back to be registered to vote. No other information is provided. The call is deceptive because the deadline has already passed for mail-in registrations for North Carolina's May 6 primary.

(Emphasis supplied.) As far as political dirty tricks go, this is a pretty bad one. If the deadline for registering has passed, either someone has registered or they haven't. How does "tricking" them into thinking they can still register help any candidate? My point is this sounds like incompetence, not malevolence.

But when Hillary Clinton is involved, the search for malevolence is relentless: