Americablog just touched the third rail in Democratic politics. In the past few weeks it's become clear that the entire rationale of the Clintons' continued presence in the campaign is "vetting." They're the self-appointed pledgemasters, and the Democratic primary is one long hell week. In between flippant threats to nuke Iran, Hillary Clinton performs a public service to all Democrats by slinging meritless personal attacks Barack's way -- racially loaded innuendo, implying on "60 Minutes" that his religion is an open question, mentioning Farrakhan appropos of nothing, and going the Saxby Chambliss route in advertising Bin Laden.
It's to Obama's great credit that he's not performing the same public service. The Clintons believe that to be a good Democrat, you must employ discredited GOP talking point to slime your opposition, since the GOP is run by professional kneecappers in any event. This is how your party nominee is "vetted" and "tested." It's not intraparty cannibalism, you see, but simply tough love.
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