Graeme Frost has joined a pretty large club this week. He's joined MoveOn, Max Cleland, John Kerry, Michael J Fox, numerous US soldiers and others - people viciously attacked by the right merely for speaking up. On a certain level however the Democratic Party also shoulders some blame.
This culture of poisonous politics has been nurtured for decades. It's clear to anyone paying any attention that the right will do whatever they can to gain advantage. Their black and white world view knows only two outcomes: win or lose.
For some reason this lesson is lost on some in the Democratic Party.
Too many in the Democratic Party seem to think that if we nominate the right person, invite the right speaker, say the right words, put up the right ad - then the radical right will respond with reason and rational debate. They think that the right will abide by the rules of polite society.
This is woolly-headed thinking. Millions of dollars are spent to smear Democrats and their supporters. The outrage from the netroots over Democratic votes against the MoveOn ad was for precisely this reason: the idea of a "nice" ad is a myth. No matter who speaks up, no matter how cleancut they are, no matter how pretty and complimentary their words the right wing smear machine will launch at any weakness they can see or create.
Democratic votes against MoveOn were a badge of political naivete.
One hopes that with the smears against an innocent 12 year old and his family coming so close on the heels of the MoveOn ad that some of these confused Democrats will learn their lesson.
The only way to combat this behaviour is to attack back. Smear those who smear. Kick them from office. Pass resolutions condemning them. Make them pay a heavy price for every attack.