Ed Schultz recently claimed that Hillary Clinton is hurting Barack Obama. The implication: If -- when -- the Lightbringer loses in November, blame her. Apparently, the progressives won't be satisfied until Hillary Clinton gets on national television, points a gun at her head, cries "Barack Obama, I die for thee!" -- then fires.

Is there any possible way progressives could be more self-destructive? Last time I turned on Air America, I heard a several-minute riff on John McCain's age. The implication: Everyone over the age of 60 is a senile fool who can't be trusted to fasten his adult diapers properly. Smart move, guys: Everyone knows that the surest way to win an election is to piss off one of the largest voting blocks.

Given the Lightbringer's anemic poll numbers, you'd think the progressives would finally stop insulting the Clinton wing of the Democratic Party. Nope. Check out this popular Cheeto diary:

What's happened to the good form of the loser jogging to the net to extend a hand to the winner?

What's happened to common sense, manners and just plane good conduct?

Of course, the Obots just "plane" define the term "sore winner."

We have Hillary coyly suggesting that they should "have a voice at the Convention" to allow them to "have a voice". We have Bill blatantly refusing to enthusiastically endorse Barack. Don't these people understand the meaning of YOU LOST?

I don't give a damned about their delicate sensibilities. I don't give a rats ass about their feelings. And, they are doing absolutely NOTHING to engender my respect, or the respect of the Party, or the nominee.

They lost. They got out gamed in a sport they claimed mastery of, by a new comer with a better message, more appealing personal style and much more likable persona. They lost. They lost a high stakes contest in which they had invested a lot of money, time and energy. But they did lose!

Now it's time to suck it up, and gracefully support your opponent. There's no crying in politics. I don't care how much you WANTED Hillary to win. She didn't. I don't care how much you want to pretend that somehow this was "stolen" from you, it wasn't. I don't care how much you want the National Party to nurse your boo boo, or kiss your ass. This is not about your self-esteem, injured psyche, or "disappointment".

"There's no crying in politics." We PUMAs are going to quote that one back to the Cheeto-heads when the Lightbringer loses in November. And if Obama has the more likable persona, then why does Hillary still poll better against McCain?

(I might as well say it again: I was never a huge Hillary fan. I did not want her to win so much as I wanted the lying Lightbringer to lose. During the primaries, my heart belonged to...er...daddy.)

If you are a Democrat, you are obligated to get behind the nominee of the Party.

Fuck you. You arrogant Cheeto-heads told us incessantly to get the hell out of the party. Don't you dare try to give us marching orders now.

Like it or not, it is a simple fact of human existence that you will never get cooperation from people you insult. If you're climbing a mountain, don't call anyone else on the rope "Shithead," because the time may come when Shithead is the only thing saving you from a long drop.

And yet the Obots continue to operate in insult mode. If you're a PUMA, you're a racist, or so sayeth the Cheetos:

The dumber their 'reasons' get

the more obvious the real reasons become.

They aren't holding out till they get 'respect'

They're holding out until he turns white.

Obviously, the progressives want McCain to win. Otherwise, they wouldn't spew crap like this:

I think Barack has coddled her far too long. The campaign should run, not walk, away from the Clintons. Likewise, if Hillary and Bill decide to straighten up and act right, they should be welcomed back.

Y'see, Obama's falling poll numbers are all the fault of Hillary and Bill. They have nothing to do with the vile antics of the Obots.

It's time to call these cry babies on their nasty act.

"Nasty"? Compare this hate-addled Kos thread to the civilized and witty discourse you usually see on The Confluence. It's like comparing Julius Streicher to Oscar Wilde.

Fact is, they're dead-enders. They don't have a future. They keep painting themselves into smaller and smaller corners because they're too juvenile to get over their political disappointments.

I say they're not real Democrats to begin with...

You know what's getting "smaller and smaller"? Obama's lead. In some polls, it's not a lead any more. And yet the Kossacks still insist that the Dems need fewer members.

I read somewhere that Hillary is using human growth hormone now. Bulking up for the convention, I guess. For shame.

Personally, I'd be happy if she passed out and I didn't have to see her whiny ass again.

Bill & Hill need to STFU

Hillary you lost because you ran your campaign like a Republican.

Bill go back to hanging out with Poppy Bush at the Golf Country Club.

Being a sore loser is totally not allowed in our house.

Ha! We all know damned well that when McCain wins, Barack and the bots will be the sorest losers since post-Versailles Germany. Of course, it was Axelrod and Plouffe who took up the Rove playbook: Smear, smear smear...

The Cheetos also insist -- no proof necessary, thank you very much -- that Big Clinton Money is behind the PUMA movement. In fact, the money has gone the other way.

If there was continued grassroots support for Hillary's candidacy, her debt would have been greatly retired by now.

Errr....it was.

"See you at the Debates; Bitches"

That's a (badly punctuated) sig line.Way to build unity, dude!

She is just trying to ruin the party - and I mean that in every sense.

The Obots have spent this entire year spreading lies, smears and hate -- they have divided the Democratic party with a meat ax -- and yet they claim that Hillary is trying to ruin the party?

Hillary spent the last 7 years not being a good opposition leader, it was selfish of her to run, and I voted for Obama in the TX primary because I thought then and still think he is the stronger of the two candidates. Hillary needs to get over it...

Selfish how? And what, pray tell, was selfless about Mr. No-Credentials' decision to run for the highest office in the land? And when will these turkeys learn that in the political realm (as in every other realm), the phrase "get over it" always -- always -- has the opposite of the intended effect?

too bad for Senator Clinton that enough Democrats/liberals/independents finally woke up and saw through their machinations and said "No" to Clinton II. They have been a cancer on liberalism, that was none too healthy before they showed up and sold their snake oil.

I could go on, but you get the point.

Confession time: My dust-up with "Techdude" and his followers vis-a-vis that birth certificate nonsense persuaded me that the anti-Obots could be just as crankish and odious as the Obots are. Indeed, the Dude's pseudo-scientific "argument" (which, fortunately, has not convinced many, due to the utter lack of evidence) almost prompted me to bid an un-fond adios to PUMA-land.

I had intended to spend the next week or so writing about other matters, such as the anthrax controversy and Ron Suskind's allegation about that forged letter.

But the above-quoted Cheeto thread enraged and infuriated me. One visit to Kos made me feel obligated to redouble my efforts to make sure that John McCain wins huge in November (presuming Hillary does not pull off the greatest upset of all time). The Democrats won't be worth a damn again until the progs who commandeered the party get the proverbial session in the woodshed.

A Corrente headline summed up the matter nicely: "Unity means no accountability."