A rough three weeks ...

... and it is getting worse.

I’m a liberal and a Democratic partisan who is supporting Senator Obama for the Democratic Nomination. Even if my preferred candidate lost the nomination, I would strongly support the Democratic ticket in 2008. Now, that is becoming very difficult to do. I lost all respect for Senator Clinton, the former President and increasingly Clinton’s Congressional supporters. As a partisan, I will show up on Election Day and support the Democratic ticket in Illinois if Senator Clinton is leading the way. This election is too important not to vote, but I would have to hold my noise, take a cold shower after I vote.

Yes, I’m bitter.

The Democratic Party had a chance to bring sweeping change to the Country by electing a Progressive President with an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress. Hilary Clinton could have been this candidate, but her campaign lead by former President decided to put their lust for power over the needs of the Country and the Democratic Party.

This diary on Daily Kos by Dengre sums up my feelings pretty well on the Clintons and the 2008 elections.

In the last few weeks, I have found my own rhetoric and feelings getting more and more heated. As the race-baiting, dirty-tricks, voter suppression efforts and outright lies have multiplied, I have found myself getting as angry at some Democrats as I have been at most Republicans—and I have been angry at most Republicans since 1964 when I was eight.

One of those Democrats is Bill Clinton.

I can see the political reasons for why Bill Clinton has reduced his wife’s campaign to the stark parameters of race. It is the best way to elect her. Appeals to fear and racism always work better than appeals to hope—especially with an electorate and news media pre-condition to always embrace stereotypes and fear over logic and hope.

It is smart politics to reduce Obama to the "inexperienced black guy" and Edwards to the "angry white guy". These over-the-top framings of these Candidates are sticking and driving the narrative. If either Edwards or Obama were to win the nomination the damage done by Bill Clinton will follow them into November. If Senator Clinton wins, the damage of her path to "victory" will follow her as well. It is powerful stuff, to unleash super-charged narratives shaped by five-hundred years of American racism. These are framings that will shape the rest of this Election year. They have been released and they can not be stopped.

Go and read the rest.