Olbermann said it first. More than a bad pun, the Democratic Unity, New Hampshire photo-op happened yesterday. Newshounds desperate for a story angle spoke of backstage tensions between their handlers or jumped briefly on trivial Republican, Grover Norquist’s “he’s Kerry with a tan” racist comment, until they saw who said it. To listen to pundits it was either a “huge success” or a coalition as fragile as the Mississippi River levee thousands worked to shore up that was ultimately done in by a burrowing ferret.

While the stage in Unity was all saccharinely smiles, behind the scenes the wrestling match over the knife continues over everything from convention protocol (Hillary wants to speak, Obama is for that… Hillary wants her name place in nomination and a roll call, Obama gives that a snowball’s chance in a warm climate) and everyone wondered where was Bill? Well, Bill was in London celebrating Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday whilst Robert Mugabe’s militias threatened to kill anyone without an ink stain on their finger showing they voted for him in his sham of an election, but I digress.

The biggest issue in Unity was how to help Hillary retire her $22-million dollar debt. The candidates had quality time together on the train and bus ride up to Unity to discuss issues. The Obama campaign held their promised conference call with their big donors asking them to please pony up cheques to support Hillary, Hillary donors think he Obama is being arrogant and not contrite enough to them for winning and she bailed Obama out during the press avail when the expected will you accept Hillary for Veep question was asked, by whispering to him he did not have to answer that one.

Unity was a strained crowd. A state that split their delegates and votes down the middle, her supporters were there for her, his for him. 6 of 10 Hillary supporters already support him, the rest just need to take a chill pill and get over themselves. I mean would a Hillary supporter really choose anti-choice, conservative McCain and what is clearly Bush 2.0?

So what do we know? Yes there are hurt feelings among both sides. Hillary supporters feel even though they lost, closely, they deserve the spotlight and to co-govern/lead the party. Obama supporters are miffed that they are being asked to pay off the same Hillary suppliers who advised her to wage internecine inter-party warfare against their man. She accused him of not having the skills to run the executive branch yet ran her own campaign deep into debt while he created a $240 million dollar lean, mean, profitable and disciplined team.

It’s probably best if both took a page from former Vermont  Governor Howard Dean, now the DNC chairman. His bona fides include being supported by neither Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama so he can pretty much run the DNC as he feels it should be run. During the convention rules and bylaws meeting where everyone was worried about Hillary exercising the nuclear option and ending up with a party so divided it could not possibly come together for the convention and the general election, he talked of losing/being pushed aside in 2000 after having been the front-runner for many of the early primaries and developing an Obama-like Internet grass roots fund raising buzz for quite some time.

Dr. Dean spoke of pacing around a hotel suite raving on the phone to then presumptive nominee Al Gore – “why should I support the party after what they’ve done to me,” he screamed into the telephone?

Al’s answer was simple, “because this election is bigger and more important than either of us.” Dr. Dean understood that. Hillary knows that. Bill’s brand will only recover when he and Obama stand together united on the stage. And Hillary’s people need to get this too.

Bob Barr is the Ross Perot of ’08. The Libertarian/conservative votes he siphons away will hurt John McCain. Nader will not matter.

So “She United” needs to become “United we Stand” or “Divided We Surely Fall” and the Democratic Party will have squandered its best chance in 40 years for a massive victory and mandate.

The choice seems clear. Do we really want to extend the 40-year losing the White House record to a pathetic 3-8 (and two of the 3 W’s were Bill’s)?