The big-labor blog, Progress Illinois is obsessing over Aaron Shock’s speech over the weekend calling Barack Obama a socialist. Then Colleen Callahan, Shock’s opponent, started attacking Shock, saying the statement proves he “isn’t ready for Congress.” I don’t know whether Shock is ready for Congress, but I know that the Obama camp should be on the phone telling these guys to shut up. The last thing Obama needs is Democrats repeating the words “Obama” and “socialist” in the same sentence.

This is especially true because, for many of us, Obama is a socialist. Sure, we might quibble over the term socialist. But I define socialist is someone who believes government’s primary concern is “society” rather than the “individual” (libertarian) or the “family” (conservative). That’s a pretty broad defiinition I know. But if we’re going to discuss it, let’s discuss it. I certianly don’t think it’s out-of-bounds.

Similarly, we might debate whether John McCain is a nationalist.