Mo of the same

“ ‘Maybe we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow,’ she said tartly in the debate here Tuesday night. She peevishly and pointlessly complained about getting the first question too often, implying that the moderators of MSNBC — a channel her campaign has complained has been sexist — are giving Obama an easy ride.

“Beating on the press is the lamest thing you can do. It is only because of the utter open-mindedness of the press that Hillary can lose 11 contests in a row and still be treated as a contender.”

I snatched these two paragraphs out of New York Times’ columnist Maureen Dowd’s anti-Clintons regurgitations this morning. (If you have an appetite for vitriol and vomit, you can read her here.)

That “contender” remark is pretty lame itself. That status is granted by voters, not the press.

“ … implying that the moderators of MSNBC — a channel her campaign has complained has been sexist — are giving Obama an easy ride.”

Gasp!

Apparently, Ms. Dowd doesn’t spend a lot of time – as I do – watching campaign coverage on MSNBC.

Then, too, Ms. Dowd, whose attacks on Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky affair are legend, has never forgiven Hillary for keeping her wedding vow. You know, “for better or for worse.”

While MSNBC spent the entire day yesterday beating Hillary Clinton into the ground and extolling Obama, regular viewers who see through the bias knew that Brian Williams and Tim Russert were locked head-to-head, trying to formulate THE question that could bring Senator Clinton’s campaign to its end.

Around mid-afternoon I sent an email to Hillary supporters on my list: “Keep an eye on Tim Russert.”

“Beating on the press is the lamest thing you can do.”

Come on, Mo, you’re a smarter woman than that.

Hillary was not, to use Barack’s word, “whining.” What she said, to use yours, was not “pointless.” She looked Tim Russert in the eye and gave him notice: “I am ready for you!”

And, Mr. Russert got her drift.

So, what, I’m sure, seemed to some another “silly season” remark set the “tone” for the evening and gave us – in this third meeting of the Democratic contenders – a real debate.

Now, Ms. Dowd, if you want to talk about who is “beating on” who, meet me in Ohio on March 4.

To paraphrase “The Godfather:”

“Leave the keyboard, bring the TV.”