Democratic Race Turning Into a Schoolyard Squabble

The Democratic presidential candidates continue to fight tooth and nail. Barack Obama leads narrowly in the delegate count, but Hillary Clinton is doing all she can to derail him before the big Pennsylvania primary. What's captured the headlines is the increasing nastiness of their struggle. Clinton adviser James Carville compared New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to Judas for committing "an act of betrayal" by endorsing Obama. Richardson retorted that the Clinton team was practicing "gutter" politics.

Meanwhile, Gordon Fischer, an Obama supporter and former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, took aim at Bill Clinton for allegedly implying that Obama wasn't patriotic enough. Fischer blogged that the comment was a "stain on his legacy, much worse, much deeper than the one on Monica's blue dress," a reference to Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky. Fischer quickly apologized, but it did little to mollify anyone. A broader question arises: With no end to the campaign in sight, how low will they go? The next big test of the candidates' civility will come in two debates, first in Philadelphia on April 16 and then in North Carolina on April 19.