Kudos to Keith for finally denouncing this kind of fear-mongering and bigotry. I only wish he had done it sooner and more harshly. As always, I have my own criticisms of Keith’s special comment, despite how well-crafted they are, but you should probably enjoy the video before reading my complaints below.

Olbermann’s money quote: “But in fact, Senator, you are now campaigning, as if Barack Obama were the Democrat, and you… were the Republican.”

While I agree with the spirit of that analogy, I do disagree with what it implies on two accounts. First, it suggests that slanderous attacks are solely performed by the Republican Party and that by engaging in these tactics, Hillary is acting like something she’s not. However, anyone to the left of the Democratic Party knows just how similar the Democratic smear machine is to the Republican one. Yet rather than recognize these evils within the Democratic Party, all faults are blamed on some outside influence - the Republicans in this case. Like blind parents who can’t accept that their perfect little angel has done something wrong, Democratic pundits have blamed Republicans and even themselves for Hillary’s mistakes.

Secondly, by appealing to Hillary not to tear her party apart, Keith is suggesting that the Democratic Party is worth saving. We should all be well aware by now that the party is corrupt, and no delusion of purity will change that. Despite the righteous indignation of the Democratic smear machine, for insisting that Ralph Nader is to blame for everything since the year 2000 for “spoiling” what they think they’re entitled to, the fault for the tragedy of these past 8 years belongs to these co-conspirators who claimed to be on our side while reaping the bloody rewards of business.

It’s only now that a moderate like Barack Obama (and by “moderate” I mean right-wing corporate candidate) is having his name drug through the mud that people are actually saying something to Democratic leaders in his defense. No one cared when it was Dennis Kucinich or Mike Gravel who were having their characters destroyed by other Democrats. The Democratic Party has fought against liberalism just as hard as the Republicans, so why work so hard to save a club which says we’re not good enough to lead it?