The Audacity of Clinton

Samantha Power is an Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, scholar, and author. She's an eloquent and brilliant voice for the idea that American power can, if skillfully used, build a more just and humane world. She's widely respected across a variety of domains and political points of view. She's also supporting Barack Obama. She also committed a gaffe, for which she promptly apologized and then resigned. And yet Hillary Clinton's campaign is still trying to run her name through the mud in hopes of keeping the story alive for a bit longer. Just as with Clinton's Liebermanesque praise of John McCain's commander-in-chiefiness we see a family that doesn't really care what people or causes they harm as long as it stands some vague chance of in some slight way helping their clique get back in power. I'd take their clique over McCain's clique in a heartbeat, but it's a pretty appalling approach, albeit in keeping with the Clinton camp's habit of insulting Obama's voters, whole states, etc. Basically, they're wreck whatever they need to wreck to keep hope alive.

Perversely, this is actually near the core of her appeal -- say what you will about her, but at least she's willing to fight dirty. The team that executed Ricky Ray Rector versus the guy who patiently built a coalition to protect the rights of the accused.