Crossing the Line?

You don't necessarily need me to point this out, but it's going to get ugly out there. We're starting to get a hint, but it's far more tame for the time being than we're going to have to get used to. I've assumed that as Obama got closer to the nomination, the veiled (or not even bothered to be veiled) racial comments would become more and more noticeable. Yesterday was a great example, and we haven't even got going yet. On Monday, Michelle Obama uttered an unfortunate choice of words. She said:

For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.

Now I don't know if this is true or not, and I'm not that concerned one way or another. But it's clearly not the kind of thing you want to say while you're in the middle of a political campaign. The conservatives are going to jump all over you, and deservedly so. But trust Bill O'Reilly to push things in the wrong direction. Michelle Obama's comments gave O'Reilly and his callers the entree to criticize Obama. In response to a caller accusing Obama of being a generally angry woman, O'Reilly feigned to take the high road because he doesn't want to lynch her (just yet). Media Matters has the actual quote:

I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down.

So apparently O'Reilly is prepared to lynch Michelle Obama, but only if it's necessary. Here we go.