I’ve been sitting back basically wishing Hillary Clinton would drop out of the race but believing that she had every right and reason to stay in the race purely on principle (if she’s able to raise money, clearly people think she can win, ergo she should stay in).

As I’ve watched the race get dirtier and stupider, what with Clinton demonstrating that Sinbad has a better memory than she does, and her tactic of boosting McCain in order to put down Obama, that wish has gotten stronger, but I’ve refrained from joining the call for her to drop out.

That changes today. Today, she showed exactly how far she’s willing to go to win this nomination. It’s not going to seem like much to people who aren’t political junkies, but it’s significant. Today, she sat down with the editorial staff of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which is owned by Richard Mellon Scaife. Here’s TPM on the significance:

This afternoon Greg Sargent and I were talking this over and one of us realized that this wasn’t just any Pittsburgh paper. It was the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the money-losing, vanity, fringe sheet of Richard Mellon Scaife, funder of the Arkansas Project, the American Spectator during its prime Clinton-hunting years and virtually every right-wing operation of note at one point or another over the last twenty years or more.

…

This alone has to amount to some sort cosmic encounter like something out of a Wagner opera. Remember, this is the guy who spent millions of dollars puffing up wingnut fantasies about Hillary’s having Vince Foster whacked and lots of other curdled and ugly nonsense. Scaife was the nerve center of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Those of us who spent years defending the Clintons from all that malarkey learned this point on day one.

Even the fracking National Review post about this was entitled “Hell Has Officially Frozen Over.”

This man was behind or involved in most of the nastiest smears against the Clintons during Bill Clinton’s time as President. Not only would I expect there to be some animosity, I would expect her to blacklist the outlet. Seriously. This isn’t just some political opponent but a man who literally made up accusations and put our nation through some of the most ridiculous political moments, funded by taxpayer dollars, just to advance his party.

As usual, Atrios has it right:

Remember back in junior high, when you had that friend that the bullies picked on all the time? And you defended that friend, who really never did all that much for you, which led to you getting your ass kicked a few times yourself? And then you got to high school and your friend joined up with the bullies? It’s kind of like that.

This is nuts. This is beyond nuts, it’s insulting to everyone who has ever defended the Clintons against the Whitewater attacks, who supported them, and eventually Gore against these attacks.

It’s insulting to everyone that wants to see Washington stop being filled by win-at-all-cost partisanship. That, more than anything, has characterized the paralysis in Congress, particularly the Republican side, as beating Democrats has been more important than good policy.

This clearly seems to be part of the Clinton campaign strategy as they’re now now passing on fake stories from the American Spectator claiming Obama has a problem with Jews. Bill Clinton today accused the Obama campaign of disenfranchising voters, which he knows is a lie. And on, and on. These aren’t just negative attacks, they’re false negative attacks.

I am done defending her or giving her the benefit of the doubt. By allying herself with Scaife and American Spectator, she’s joined Limbaugh and company in the irredeemable category. If she wins, I won’t give her money, nor will I fund raise for her. $0.

She needs to drop out. She’s crossed the rubicon.

PS. I am not alone in this.

PPS: Yes, I would vote for her in November (she’s still better than McCain), but it will no longer be enjoyable.