So, I was reading this column from Joe Conason over at Salon, where he was talking about some of the letters he receives in reaction to his columns:

A surprising number seem unable to tolerate so much as a skeptical word about Barack Obama:

“Why don’t you perform a few hit pieces on Hillary, too? Just to balance thing out … Shame on the editors of Salon to allow Conason to continue his blatantly biased pro-Billary rants … You have surely pissed away your reputation as a journalist with this hideous anti-Obama garbage … I’m so angry that this filth is in my highly esteemed Salon … What is going on with Joe Conason? … I really used to respect you, but seriously, how many of these pro-Hillary, anti-everyone else articles are we going to see?”

Of course, Conason goes on to recount some of the critical things he’s written about Hillary (among others), and some of the nice things he’s had to say about Obama, too. But it’s all typical of something I find terribly annoying about Obama’s campaign and its supporters: the whining. That seems to be their reaction to every criticism, no matter how slight, of their hero.

Christ, what a bunch of friggin’ babies. Is that what an Obama administration is destined to look like? Pandering to the Republicans, and whining whenever somebody takes issue with him (while not really addressing the actual criticism on the merits)? I hope not, ‘cuz guess what? What little we’ve seen in this primary season so far is nothing compared to what the Republicans will throw at him in the general.

I’m no Hillary fan, but what, really, has been so horribly unfair about what Bill or Hillary have had to say about Obama, anyway?

That he was against the war when he was a state senator, but hasn’t exactly been forceful in opposing the Iraq occupation (certainly never voting against funding it) since being in a position to do something about it? I think that’s a pretty fair assessment, and he’s free to make a cogent argument in his own favor, if he can.

That he invoked the name of Saint Reagan and called the Republicans the “Idea Party?” Well, he did that, too; he can argue that his words have been twisted and he didn’t really mean it but, guess what? He knew what he was doing when he said it, and what he was doing was saying whatever he figured he needed to say to appeal to the “Reagan Democrats” (and Reagan Independents, I suppose). Like it, hate it, don’t give a shit – whatever – that’s what he was doing. And to act all indignant and whine when you get called on it is just, well, irritating.

Or that he’s managed to avoid voting on the tough votes, skipping them in the US Senate or voting “present” in Illinois? Well, he seems to have been pretty weaselly plenty of times that I can think of, so I don’t see anything to get all bent out of shape over on that count, either.

So, enough of the bitching already. Act like a grownup, and if you’re serious about “change,” get your ass to DC next week (or whenever the hell a vote finally comes up) and support Chris Dodd’s filibuster. While you’re at it, call out the 12 DINOs who voted to kill the SJC version of FISA, and stand up and tell Harry Reid you’re tired of his spineless caving-in to these goddamn Republicans.

I’d love to support Obama. He just needs to give me a good goddamn reason to do it.