Obama and Clinton at war

The fault lines in the Democratic Party have begun to open. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are now at war. Democratic unity has been fractured.

Syndicated columnist Robert Novak reported Friday that "agents of Sen. Hillary Clinton are spreading the word in Democratic circles that she has scandalous information" about Sen. Barack Obama.

Robert Novak claims that the details emanated from the Clinton camp. The allegations have not been substantiated by Clintonites. This smacks of a policy of "Give him something to deny." It has the advantage of putting Obama on the defensive as he seeks to defend his integrity and distracts him from the main issues. It smacks of ugly and dirty politics.

According to the Baltimore Sun.com:

Noting that Novak was preparing his column "at the very same time" that Clinton was complaining about "mud-slinging" by other candidates at Thursday's Democratic debate, he [Obama] said, "In the interest of our party, and her own reputation, Senator Clinton should either make public any and all information referred to in the item, or concede the truth: that there is none."

“She of all people, having complained so often about ‘the politics of personal destruction,’ should move quickly to either stand by or renounce these tactics," Obama said...........................

"...................Later, the Obama camp released a statement from campaign manager David Plouffe accepting the Clinton campaign's explanation but arguing that Obama right to respond aggressively to innuendo against him.
“The Clinton campaign has admitted that they do not possess the ‘scandalous information’ in question and we take them at their word. But what we don’t accept is their assertion that this is somehow falling for Republican tricks," Plouffe said.
"This is exactly the kind of smear politics, Democrats need to fight back on........................"

This fiasco will weaken the Democratic Presidential campaign if- as seems likely Hillary Clinton wins the nomination. The Obama wing has been alienated. Clinton and Edwards have major differences. Clinton is now a major divisive influence on the party. In addition the party is an uneasy coalition of Liberals, far left, Socialists and a shrinking number of conservatives.
Will Al Gore enter the race as a unity candidate?

A GOP candidate would represent the interests of the majority far more effectively