There was a whiff of the liberal elite circling the wagons around one of their own to the way Mitchell, with an assist from Mike Barnicle, went about denouncing David Paterson.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So Andrea, how would you characterize the emotions that the Kennedy family is feeling right now about this Chinese fire drill that Caroline went through?  Are they at all angry?

ANDREA MITCHELL:  . . .  And so she withdraws, and does it in a one-sentence statement after midnight.  And then, the governor and people around him go ahead and trash her–trash her reputation. She is out of the race, and he is, you know, on top.  And there is no excuse. Barnicle, bear me out on this for the way this woman was treated, no matter her uncertain, awkward start in politics. To do that to anyone, and to a public servant and to someone who has played the role she has in American history, is outrageous.

Barnicle, Kennedy fan that he is, was only too happy to second Andrea’s emotion . . .

MIKE BARNICLE: Regardless of how you feel about her entry into it. Regardless of how you feel about how awkward she appeared to be in some of her public appearances, we prattle on endlessly in the media about the lack of talent on ballots in all 50 states and the lack of really talented people who refuse to come forward to serve in government.  Who would ever want to come forward to serve in any public capacity after the treatment that Caroline Kennedy received, after she withdrew.

Mika was also on board.

BRZEZINSKI: You’re damn right.

Let’s grant that, on its face, Paterson’s treatment of Caroline was less than gentlemanly.  But does Mitchell know what might have been behind it?  For example, there are reports that the New York guv resented the pressure he was getting from the Kennedy clan.

In any case, if Mitchell is concerned about the coarsening of political rhetoric, why not start at her own network by calling on Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews to clean up their Bush=Hitler act?