In yet the latest sign of how bitter the divisions in the Democratic party are getting in the epic battle between Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama for their party’s presidential nomination, some writers at Daily Kos have gone on “strike” due to what they charge is abuse aimed at them and Hillary Clinton.

These writers write the diaries on the right side of the page. The key post is by Alegre, a call for Hillary Clinton supporters to stop posting on Kos, or to take their writing elsewhere:

I’ve decided to go on “strike” and will refrain from posting here as long as the administrators allow the more disruptive members of our community to trash Hillary Clinton and distort her record without any fear of consequence or retribution. I will not be posting at DailyKos effective immediately. I will not help drive up traffic or page-hits as long as my candidate – a good and fine DEMOCRAT - is attacked in such a horrid and sexist manner not only by other diarists, but by several of those posting to the front page.

Alegre undermined the ire by going over to the other Big Democratic site, My DD, which has some posts often more sympathetic to Clinton.

To those who don’t visit blogs or get their news from them (which a recent poll shows includes the vast majority of the American public) this might seem to be a provincial conflict, but it is highly significant.

In political terms, it underscores the raw, angry and bitter rivalrly between supporters of Obama and Clinton (as I noted in my appearance on CNN’s blog segment last Sunday).

The mirror image distrust, hatred and dismissiveness felt by each side towards the others’ candidates accentuates by the day — raising the authentic prospect that even in an awful economy the Democrats will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — as some supporters of the losing nomination candidate stay home.

How symbolic is it of the party’s worsening rift? ABC News’ Jake Trapper has covered it and even got an update comment from the site’s owner:

I asked Kos himself, Markos Moulitsas, what he makes of all this.

His response: “First, these people should read up on the definition of ’strike.’ What they’re doing is a ‘boycott.’ But whatever they call it, I think it’s great. It’s a big Internet, so I hope they find what they’re looking for.”

In freedom of speech terms, the strike/boycott raises the issue of whether those online who don’t adhere to a certain line are subject to abuse or — a differing view — whether some are angry seeing views strongly expressed that differ from theirs on the same site (on both sides).

Indeed, big sites such as the progressive Daily Kos, My DD, and Huffington Post often contain various viewpoints within a defined ideological area. Ditto for Republican Red State.com. They are not quite as monolithic as their critics charge.

Pro-Clinton blogger Tom Watson writes:

A writer’s strike at DailyKos is the latest symptom of a fast-moving infection in the progressive blogosphere - the all-too-real political fissure driven by online bullying that shows no signs of healing by August. Does this virtual walk-out presage the real thing in Denver? Too early to tell, but the real anger among Democratic bloggers who do not ardently support Barack Obama swats down the dismissive conventional wisdom of “they’ll come back in the end” - at least for now.

Watson details the larger issue:

The resentment among non-Obama backers is growing rapidly - you can see it in the comments here, and I can see it in my emails. There’s a real split among party activists, and it’s getting wider.

Some of it is motivated by the media’s love affair with one candidate - and hatred for the other; Keith Olbermann’s embarrassment drove many over the edge. But much of it comes from boorish, Stalinist behavior online - the kind of “you’re either with us or against us” attitude we saw so much of when the Bush crowd was flying high. It’s disturbing, particularly because so many of the targets are women. This is not the Democratic Party many of us have worked for; this is not the progressive blogosphere we’ve supported.

On the other hand, bitterness in this race can be seen all around. Where progressive and moderate bloggers and commenters used to get worked up arguing about George Bush, there is now a real angry, scolding tone in many comments left by Clinton and Obama supporters.

Marc Ambinder notes that Alegre has set up The American Federation of Concerned Bloggers (AFCB) and the post on Kos generated more than 1100 comments “many of them supportive.”

He sees a bigger issue:

Who Hillary Clinton is and what she represents has been THE debate among Democratic activists for years. It is now THE national debate. The Democratic Party may well come together and support its nominee. But the debate about Clinton, her (and his) politics, the legacy, the tactics — will endure.

In short, the strike/boycott is a symptom — and with so many months to go until the Democratic convention, the prognosis for true Democratic Party unity going into the election seems “questionable.”