Coming Together

Hillary Clinton stood firmly with Barack Obama today, blasting President Bush and his implied comparison of Senator Obama to Nazi appeasers. From Ben Smith at The Politico:

Hillary, today in Rapid City, South Dakota, defended Obama from President Bush's apparent comparison of him to Neville Chamberlain, Ken Vogel reports.

She told reporters:

President Bush’s comparison of any Democrat to Nazi appeasers is both offensive and outrageous on the face of it, especially in light of his failures in foreign policy. This is the kind of statement that has no place in any presidential address and certainly to use an important moment like the 60th anniversary celebration of Israel to make a political point seems terribly misplaced. Unfortunately, this is what we’ve come to expect from President Bush.

“There is a very clear difference between Democrats and Republicans on foreign policy and that difference will be evident once we take back the White House.

McCain jumped at the chance to get in the mud, despite claims in his maverick speech this morning that he wanted to take the high road. When asked about the controversy, McCain replied that he took the Bush camp at their word that GWB was not referring to Senator Obama, but was quick to add:

"This does bring up an issue that we will be discussing with the American people, and that is, why does Barack Obama, Senator Obama, want to sit down with a state sponsor of terrorism?"

If that's the high road, what does the low road look like?  No matter, Senator Obama responded "swiftly" and appropriately with the following statement:

"It is the height of hypocrisy for John McCain to deliver a lofty speech about civility and bipartisanship in the morning and then embrace George Bush's disgraceful political attack in the afternoon.  Instead of delivering meaningful change, John McCain wants to continue George Bush's irresponsible and failed Iran policy by refusing to engage in tough, direct diplomacy like Presidents from Kennedy to Reagan have done," Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor said

Senator Clinton also joined the fray:

"I think today we’ve had two examples of why this country is going to be voting for a Democratic president. And I hope that people really look seriously both at President Bush’s comment and at Sen. McCain’s speech and realize that the only way we’re going to restore our leadership and our moral authority and deal with the very real challenges we face in the world is by electing a democratic president and I believe that I am a stronger candidate against Sen. McCain and will be a president who could accomplish that," she said.

Isn't that nice?  Democrats attacking Republicans instead of each other? Is that the light at the end of the tunnel? Let's hope that Senator Clinton will continue to coalesce around Senator Obama and exit the race in a graceful fashion. It's time to heal our primary wounds and get busy attacking the entire Republican machine that has taken this country so far off track. If her comments today were any indication, she's ready to do just that......and not a moment too soon.