What is the doctrine of the early Shiites and their view of the Companions, especially Abu Bakr and Umar, may God be pleased with them?

The early Shiites acknowledged the virtue of Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, and preferred them over all other Companions. No slandering or disparaging of the Companions was known from them. Statements from the early Shiite imams confirm this, such as the saying of Ali ibn Abi Talib concerning Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq: "That is a man whom Allah named Al-Siddiq (The Truthful) through the tongue of Gabriel and the tongue of Muhammad. He was the successor of the Messenger of Allah for prayer, He approved him for our religion, and we approved him for our worldly affairs." And the saying of Ibn Al-Hanafiyyah when he asked his father, Ali ibn Abi Talib: "Who is the best of people after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him?" He said: "Abu Bakr." I said: "Then who?" He said: "Then Umar." And Yazid ibn Ali ibn Al-Husayn said: "May Allah forgive them both. I have not heard anyone from my family disavow them, and I speak nothing but good about them."

Scholars have established that "Shiism" among the early generations was the belief in preferring Ali over Uthman, while still preferring the two Sheikhs (Abu Bakr and Umar). As for the later generations, it became pure rejection. Among the proofs for this is the eagerness of the Imams of the Household (Ahl al-Bayt) to name their children after Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Aisha.