Taylor Deserves Credit

I’ve been highly snarky and critical about Taylor Marsh and her commenters, but I have to say that I have really appreciated Taylor’s comments and fury about her own commenters recently. After reading what was said after the hospitalization of Kennedy (some of which I have captured here), she exploded:

After a very long day yesterday, coming home to the comments on the Senator Edward Kennedy post was a sharp blow. I have never been more disappointed in this community during the primary season than when I read some of your comments. They have been deleted, with posting to that thread disabled. It’s the second time in a week I’ve had to disengage comments. We’ve had a lot of trouble in the comments recently and I realize I can’t nor do I want to control anyone, but the lack of humanity from some of you towards Senator Kennedy was embarrassing. I was appalled. That you weren’t was alarming.

The other aspect is the cowardice of many people to not jump in and rebut what was being said. That’s the only way this community can work, because I can’t babysit you, though after yesterday it’s clear that’s what some of you require. So to those of you emailing me saying your were disappointed, but didn’t have the spine to stand up in the comments yourself, stuff it. You’re just as bad as the people who made the comments.
(snip)

Senator Edward M. Kennedy has given his life to this country. The Lion of the Senate has given his all to make this party and the policies for which we stand stronger through legislation. Read this guest post by Mash to see what Senator Kennedy has meant to people around the world. He has given his entire life to this country, but the causes to which he’s committed knows no geographical bounds. He’s not perfect, who is? But I am so proud of his work on behalf of Democrats, the poor and working people I cannot explain the respect I have for the fights he’s waged. One of those includes standing up against Iraq preemption when nobody else did, with many in the Senate, including Senator Hillary Clinton, voting to give Bush power he didn’t deserve and should never had.

Seeing what unfolded yesterday upon returning home got my Irish-Scots blood up. That you have such disrespect for the work we do here leaves me livid.

So let me make this clear. Anyone ever posting such hateful drivel again will be banned. I don’t care if this blog goes down to 10 commenters, with 3 of them being me, Scan and Grey, but I will not condone, support, tolerate or accept comments attacking someone like Edward M. Kennedy when he’s lying in a hospital bed facing serious health conditions. That I have to even say this is pathetic and illustrates the rancid level of partisanship to which many have stooped.

Really, as Calitejano points out, Taylor is trying to start the process of unification, and while she remains an opponent of Obama and firm Hillary supporter, she deserves credit for at least trying to dial down the rhetoric. But, really, ma’am, after all the vitriol your commenters have posted over the past couple of months, could you expect otherwise from them? As you say, they do disservice to your candidate. Still, thanks for trying to restore some sense of decorum.
Of course, these folks will still be a fun read! Wonk has some nice ones posted!