RETURN OF THE HATE MONGERS:

Just as the Democratic Presidential candidates are off to an earlier than usual start, so are the right-wingers with their attacks and lies. Even though Al Gore is not a candidate, they are so afraid of him that they've made him a target. (See this article for a collection of links to their venom, and this video for Keith Olbermann's response to some of it.) The invaluable watchdog Media Matters for America is documenting several verbal assaults each day, usually blandly passed on by the networks, against front runners Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama. This will only get worse with time, and any other candidates who climb in the polls will get the same treatment.

The latest brouhaha arose at the conservative conference where one of the darlings of the reactionaries, Ann Coulter, proceeded to trash John Edwards in a way that even made some of the righties pause. There is a full report on her vile remarks on him and others, with a video clip, links to other sites, and the text of a letter from the Edwards campaign to supporters asking for donations "to show every would-be Republican mouthpiece that their bigoted attacks will not intimidate this campaign", all at Raw Story. Even though she sort of endorsed Mitt Romney there, he later echoed Giuliani and McCain in repudiating her remarks.

She's said similar things before, trying to paint both Bill Clinton and Al Gore as gay, and even using that same f-word. She has been fired or dropped at least three times for her viciousness. Even this latest distancing themselves from her by embarrassed candidates is not new. The internet's best reporter on reactionary extremism, Dave Neiwert of Orcinus, summarized her latest outrage in this well-linked article:

Ho hum. Another year, another CPAC conference, another contrived Ann Coulter Controversy, just like last year. Once again, we get a kabuki dance from movement conservatives who denounce the remarks themselves but neglect to go any farther.

SOME VIDEOS OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES (OR NOT....):

Joe Biden at the DNC
Hillary Clinton at the DNC
Chris Dodd at the DNC
John Edwards at the DNC
Al Gore at the Oscars
Mike Gravel in New Hampshire
Dennis Kucinich at the DNC
Barack Obama Austin rally with videos
Bill Richardson at the DNC

TWO WEEKS AGO ON THE WEB:

New Dallas D.A. bringing a new approach for a 'failed system'

Environmentalists hail takeover plan for Texas utility

Justice Reports Lauded Ousted Prosecutors

US generals ‘will quit’ if Bush orders Iran attack

Dissension in the Ranks: Soldiers Speak Out video

Poll: Americans Strongly Support Murtha’s Iraq Plan

The Redirection Seymour Hersh on Iran

THREE WEEKS AGO ON THE WEB:

Texas Democratic Party Files Lawsuit To Ensure Ballot Integrity

Rick Perry Thinks He Will Be The Vice President Someday

Warren Chisum: Is Our Children Learning Science?

Return of 1990s-Style Right-Wing Violence?

6 Of 7 Dismissed US Attorneys Had Positive Job Evaluations

The Army blinked The Watada court martial

Breakdown At The Iraq Lie Factory

Journalist paints a dark view (Seymour Hersh)

US seeks pretext for conflict with Iran (Ex-Bush Iran official)

Doubts raised on linking of Iran to US deaths in Iraq

Thelma and Louise Imperialism

Getting It Right on Iran

US 'Iran attack plans' revealed Two triggers