The Clinton haters suddenly rush to her defence.

I am thoroughly enjoying watching the Republicans attempt to stir things up now that Biden has been named as the candidate for VP. Bill Kristol leads the way with this nonsense:

So Hillary Clinton gets about 18 million votes in 2008, and isn’t even considered for--she apparently isn’t even given the courtesy of being consulted--the vice presidential pick. Joe Biden manages to persuade a few thousand (if that) Iowans to support him. And Barack Obama selects Biden?

I think there must be genuine Republican disappointment that Hillary has not been chosen as Obama's running mate. After all, she is a polarising figure that just might have helped to invigorate the Republican base.

And it's simply hysterical to watch a well known Clinton hater like Kristol rush to her defence. Is there a single sentient person on Earth who can't see through what this toad is attempting here?

And even Goldfarb has chipped in with this:

By all accounts, Hillary Clinton was not vetted for the second spot, nor was she consulted by the Obama campaign on who should be taken--not even as a courtesy. If she had been the pick, the 3 a.m. text message might have had some real resonance--a signal that the two had put a tough campaign behind them in order to work together on the serious issues the next administration will have to deal with.

But what's with holding the text message until 3 a.m. for Joe Biden? The only explanation that makes any sense is that Team Obama just couldn't resist one last dig at Hillary.

They are obviously hoping to enrage the more insane Clinton supporters one last time and to ensure that as many as possible defect to McCain.

And the usual nutters are taking the bait. I used to have a lot of time for Larry Johnson - and for No Quarter - but recently the posting there has been handed over to some of the most extreme pro-Hillary loons to be found anywhere in the blogosphere and they have certainly reacted as Kristol and Goldfarb would have liked:

Barack Caligula Obama just stepped out of his matrix and sliced the belly of Biden’s clean articulate legacy, while sticking his fist up the butt of America by texting at 3 AM. This is truly post pre-mortem politics.

Lust for power. Change you can change. (May I please change my FEC statements? I didn’t lie. I just hid stuff from you until you voted for me.) Orgies of ego. Anita bashing. If I go on the republicans will have to pay me.

I honestly don't get these people, their rage, their unspeakable hatred against a very good Democratic candidate.

And it's not as if they are unaware of how they are getting sucked in, they are actually rather explicit about it:

Looks like William Kristol is trying to get something started. This brief piece in the Weekly Standard notes that despite getting 18 million votes, Hillary isn’t accorded any respect (yeah, we know).

They know that they are being used but their irrational hatred of Obama leaves them open to being receptive to people like Kristol and Goldfarb, even though they admit that Kristol is "trying to get something started".

I've read some Hillary supporters openly hoping that Obama will be defeated so that Hillary can run in 2012.

There are many ways to describe such people, but one certainly couldn't call these nutbags Democrats.

Yeah, I know it’s William Kristol, and I know he’s taking potshots at the Democrats. But the party’s brought that on itself.

By not choosing Hillary I presume the Democrats deserve anything that befalls them. After all, according to No Quarter:

Obama’s donors aren’t doing much to help Clinton retire her debt either, contrary to his promise (surprise).

I've never understood this. Why should Obama's supporters help Clinton write off a debt which was accrued through attacking Obama long after it became clear to everyone that Clinton could not win?

Most candidates step down when the money runs out, Hillary did not, hence the debt.

Asking Obama supporters to clear that debt is about as logical as finding that Bill Kristol now articulates your deepest thoughts on the electoral process. And yet that is where these loons now find themselves.

Hat tip to Balloon Juice.