This is John Edwards talking to Larry King this past Monday night - the night before West Virginia, telling Larry King why he hasn't endorsed [with thanks to Talk Left for the transcription]:

LARRY KING: You have not endorsed, senator. Some might say as a major figure in the party at this point, don't you have a responsibility to endorse?

JOHN EDWARDS: No. I think that what I have a responsibility to do is make sure that the Democrats' message and our cause is heard and that we're united in the fall. You know, myself, Al Gore, I think there are some others who haven't spoken out yet about this nomination battle....

I think we have two great candidates. I have such an extraordinarily high opinion of both of them. You watch sort of what's happened in the past, I think that some of the endorsements as opposed to helping unite have contributed to the divide. And what I don't want to do is contribute to the divide. I mean, we had a primary in North Carolina where I live.....I voted in that primary. So obviously, I made a choice in that vote. But at least for this moment, I think the reasonable thing for me to do is let voters make their decision.

Uh, so what happened in the interim, Mr. Edwards? Hillary whomped Obama in WV, so someone had to step on her victory real fast? Sorry, but this was not your best moment. It reeked of Axelrod grease. The New Politics of Change. Uh huh.

As I understand things, this was a unilateral move by Kate Michelman and her running buddies with absolutely no input from or notification to NARAL's state organizations. Women on the state level are really angry with Michelman, extremely angry. So yeah, this looks like another case of Knife In Back, pure and simple. But apparently it's all good - long as it's for Obama.

So, why all the acidic attacks on McCain for rolling out the same damned threadbare carpet Obama has been pedddling for so many months? Obama hasn't accomplished jack squat for this country, whereas McCain actually does have a real track record of service for voters to examine, for good or ill. The neverending hypocrisy among Obamaites is nothing less than stunning. It's enough to make some of us gag.

Is moveon's utter presumption in endorsing Obama in the name of all those who do not favor his candidacy. Wonder just how many members they've lost due to this arrogant move? I can't get off their frigging e-mail list, though I've sent a number of messages expressing my outrage.

How is Obama going to win if he's shaky not only in the South, but in the Southwest and parts of the Midwest?

Obama is also shaky in the Northeast. Not to mention with women (and men) all over the country who are deeply angry at the rampant sexism of the Obama campaign and the media, and the rotten treatment Hillary and Bill Clinton have received from their own party. I love the fantasy-based belief that "we'll all fall in line in time for November" if Obama is somehow shoehorned in. Hah! If that's what does transpire, Cindy McCain can go ahead and order up the new china.

McCain's is going to have a very hard time turning out voters even if they don't like Obama.

And you are basing this belief on what? There is every reason to believe that, if Obama somehow gets the nomination, Independents and moderate Democrats will vote in droves for McCain, in the belief that if the Democrats retain a congresional majority, a safe balance will be struck. You are definitely underestimating the widespread, and growing, distrust of Obama among voters. As a vote getter, Obama has been on a downward trajectory for some time now (in spite of massive efforts to paper this over), while Hillary Clinton has been heading up. Is there no end to Democratic self delusion in certain quarters?

It's a HUGE mistake to assume that Obama would be supported by the lion's share of current Hillary Clinton supporters. The level of animus among the latter toward Obama and his camp and the DNC poobahs is unprecedented in Democratic annals. It is neither superficial nor will it be short in duration. Venture outside the, ahem, progressive blogs and get a look at reader comments on more mainstream sites. Women, especially, are really, really angry. Believe it. Those sexist chickens are beginning to land on the primary roost with a mighty thump - not exactly a surprising development.

Samizdat Syndrome has turned out to be one of the more incredible aspects of this campaign season: only in 'underground' messages such as yours do home truths tend to appear. You and others like you are doing the media's (and the DNC's) job, and though your efforts are highly admirable, it's pretty frightening to see reality distorted and suppressed by the media over and over again in service of a lesser candidate, a man who has been elevated, over and over again, to a plateau far beyond his standing. In short, thanks for a grounded message.

I think Obama calls women "sweetie" and "cutie" because he LIKES and respects and has affection for women.

Get. A. Clue.

How about women start calling Obama 'boy'?