One of the many bits of disinformation that is floated and repeated endlessly is that Obama is a closet Republican, while Hillary is a Real Democrat who will fight against the Republicans tooth and nail.

Bunk. Bullshit. Nonsense. Foolishness.

Neither candidate is what I believe a Democratic ought to be ideally. They're both too conservative for my tastes. I would prefer the nominee to be reflecting the message and approach of John Edwards, Paul Wellstone, Bernie Sanders and other progressives of that ilk.

But the claims of the Clintons that Obama is too much of a collaborator with Republicans while Hillary would fight for Democratic principles is totally misleading and historically contradictory.

The only way that Hillary could ever make such a claim, and mean it , would be to reject her own past, and to politically divorce herself from Bill.

Sure she talks a good game. And on the level of symbolic partisanship, she does do a good job of exploiting the cosmetic polarization that exists. But only on matters that don't involve actual systemic issues, such as the dominance by Corporate Power.

Bill Clinton made his national bones as a Conservative Democrat who would put "the left" in their place while strengthening the ties between the Democratic Party and Wall St. and Big Business. His administration was all about either giving in to Republicans or actively supporting and pushing through the same neo-liberal "free-market" Alan Greenspan/Milton Friedman agenda as the GOP. Clinton also sold us out on social issues such as Welfare Deform.

And during the administration of GW, the Clintons helped to surpress the Democratic Party's opposition to GW and Republicans, and supported such GOP projects as the War On Iraq.

Personally, I honestly don't know what Obama would do over time if he becomes president. I don't know if he'd ultimately sell us out in the long run like the Clintons did, or if he would actually bring a new brand of politics that advances liberalism and progressive reform in a way that has broad appeal. Currently, I'm gambling on the latter possibility.

In any case, those who toss around the notion that the Clintons are the honest heartfelt opposition to the GOP on matters that count ought to reconsider that inaccurate meme.