"Why Won't That Stupid Bitch Quit" Watch: Hillary speaks

Hillary writes an Op-Ed in the NY Daily News (the exclusive is a nice touch. As is the choice of newspaper itself).

First, she deals with the latest smear from Obama and his lying liars*:

This past Friday, during a meeting with a newspaper editorial board, I was asked about whether I was going to continue in the presidential race.

I made clear that I was - and that I thought the urgency to end the 2008 primary process was unprecedented. I pointed out, as I have before, that both my husband's primary campaign, and Sen. Robert Kennedy's, had continued into June.

Almost immediately, some took my comments entirely out of context and interpreted them to mean something completely different - and completely unthinkable.

I want to set the record straight: I was making the simple point that given our history, the length of this year's primary contest is nothing unusual. Both the executive editor of the newspaper where I made the remarks, and Sen. Kennedy's son, Bobby Kennedy Jr., put out statements confirming that this was the clear meaning of my remarks. Bobby stated, "I understand how highly charged the atmosphere is, but I think it is a mistake for people to take offense."

I realize that any reference to that traumatic moment for our nation can be deeply painful - particularly for members of the Kennedy family, who have been in my heart and prayers over this past week. And I expressed regret right away for any pain I caused.

But I was deeply dismayed and disturbed that my comment would be construed in a way that flies in the face of everything I stand for - and everything I am fighting for in this election.

As anybody with any sense of justice or simple human decency would be. If anybody has any links from Obama supporters calling bullshit** on this latest smear, would they please leave them in comments? I'd like to have my waning faith in sanity restored. Readers?

So, that's sorted. Now for the real message the lying liars are trying to obscure:

Why I continue to run

Of the many reasons, I will single out two; we know Hillary's Presidential timber, after all:

Justice:

I am running for all those women in their 90s who've told me they were born before women could vote, and they want to live to see a woman in the White House. For all the women who are energized for the first time, and voting for the first time. For the little girls - and little boys - whose parents lift them onto their shoulders at our rallies, and whisper in their ears, "See, you can be anything you want to be." As the first female candidate in this position, I believe I have a responsibility to finish this race.

I am running for all the men and women I meet who wake up every day and work hard to make a difference for their families. People who deserve a shot at the American Dream - the chance to save for college, a home and retirement; to afford quality health care for their families; to fill the gas tank and buy the groceries with a little left over each month.

Electability:

I believe I won a 40-point victory two weeks ago in West Virginia and a 35-point victory in Kentucky this past week - despite voters being repeatedly told this race is over - because I'm standing up for them. I'm standing up for the deepest principles of our party and for an America that values the middle class and rewards hard work.

Finally, I am running because I believe I'm the strongest candidate to stand toe-to-toe with Sen. McCain. Delegate math might be complicated - but electoral math is not. Our campaign is winning the popular vote - and we've been winning the swing states we need to get 270 electoral votes and take back the White House: Pennsylvania, Ohio, Arkansas, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Florida and West Virginia.

WWTSBQ?

Because there's no "quit" in her.

That's one quality I want in a President. Don't you feel the same?

OFB PROPHYLACTIC Sure, it's a campaign speech. Sure, Hillary's -- gasp! -- running for office. And?

NOTE * Yes, when (many of) Obama’s supporters and our famously free press yammer -- the link is but one from the full-throated wankfest linked to over at memeorandum -- that Clinton hopes Obama is shot (like RFK) so she can win the nomination, that's the lie direct.

They are lying liars.

1. Watch the video. It’s in the sidebar. You’ll see. It’s not Rashomon at all. 2. Read this statement from RFK Jr. RFK Jr. 3. Read this statement from the Argus editorial board, who were actually in the room.

Worse, even worse than the lying, is that one faction of the Democratic Party has become what we used to oppose. Just as Obama smearing the Clintons as racist was "cold-blooded, calculated, manipulated and a revolting strategy," so too is this latest smear.

You know who used to pull that shit?

The Republicans, back in the day when they were perpetrating the coup against the Clintons that started with the impeachment saga and climaxed with the theft of the Presidency in Florida 2000. Ill means, ill ends. Back then, we had Drudge -> Free Republic -> FOX (as in the serifs wankfest, remember?). And today, we've got Drudge -> the blogosphere -> MSNBC. Only the faces have changed. Except some of the faces are new: Faces of people we thought we once knew and may even have trusted. Well done, all.

NOTE ** And not some kind of namby-pamby "I can understand how some Clinton supporters may feel yadda yadda yadda" post, either. That shit's way too soft. Some recognition, please, of the reality that the same tactics used by Republicans to assault the Clintons in the 90s are now being taken advantage of by Democrats. My fellow Unity Pony-supporting Democrats don't get to lift their noses in the air over this latest steaming load: They need to get down, right close, take a deep, deep whiff, and tell us all what they smell. Roses? Hey, fine. YMMV. On the other hand, they could start walking this back. (Clue stick: Obama's passive aggressive snark 24 hours after the damage is done does not make it. No fucking way. Do you think we are that stupid? Do you think we don't pay attention?) Walking this back would be one really good way to unite the Party. If the Obama faction really wants that, which I have come to doubt every since Donna Brazile and the "creative class" [cough] threw me under the bus.