Something else occured to me about this whole affair...

The Clinton machine had to know, I repeat, had to know that putting Chelsea out on the stump would draw attention. Amid all the millions of articles, and billions of words of commentary, with all the verbal hand grenades being tossed around, they had to figure that one of those grenades would land close enough to Chelsea to throw a little mud on her frock.

Bingo! Now we have an issue! They're attacking the senator's daughter! Woe, Woe! Righteous indignation boils over. We can rant and rave and posture and pontificate and every other over the top verbal assault. Maybe even we can coaxe the senator to conjure up some of those crocodile tears that bought so many votes in New Hampshire. We can even threaten to pull out of the debates.

Boy, now there is a good, mature reaction! That shows the kind of maturity I want in the White House! What's next? Do we throw a flute of champagne at the Prime Minister of England because he dissed the texture of the roast beef?

If I was running for political office, whether it be President or county dog catcher, you can bet I would put my daughter as far back off of the firing line as I could. That Hillary even *allowed* her daughter to campaign is despicable. She has nothing to add to the national debate. But by putting Chelsea out there, the Clintonistas had to know this was coming. I would even be willing to suggest that they anticipated it coming, and were more than ready for it when it did come. I would imagine their only surprise is that it came from a media outlet and not some part of the "vast, right wing conspiracy."

Does the word "triangulation" ring a bell? Guess who is left out of this national crisis? That's right, Barack Obama. No headlines for him. No righteous indignation for him. No crocodile tears for him. Everything now flows around the wounded Hillary, the only role with which she ever gets any traction. Poor Hillary. Picked on Hillary. Wounded wife Hillary. Now, wounded mother Hillary. Nothing about Iraq, or taxes, or the economy, or the housing crisis, or the health insurance debacle, or immigration. It's all about Hillary the emo.

If I was MSNBC I would tell the Clinton machine to put up or shut up. I would remind them that I disciplined an on-air personality and that the issue was over. Then, if Clinton still wanted to ride her horse of righteous indignation I would say, "Okey fine! We are going to give Sen. Obama an hour of uninterupted air time to express his views to the country without you having an opportunity to challenge him." End of debate.

The only issue that should be addressed here is why was Chelsea on the political stump circuit if she is not considered to be a part of the Clinton machine and therefore vulnerable to some verbal jousting.

Freightdawg