I'm a passionate Obama supporter, and I'm mostly disgusted with the way that Clinton has run her campaign, but this feels like a non-story, or at least a not-yet story. Of course, both campaigns will be "going after" every person on the convention floor, possibly including the popcorn vendor, if there's no clear majority at the convention. I'm guessing that ther real intent would be trying to sway delegates on a second ballot. This "senior" official is probably just trying to soften the ground for that fight early on. In other words, let the story get out there and mulled over in the public for a few days or weeks, so there's no "gotcha" moment when a delegate from Illinois breathlessly tells the Chicago Tribune that he got a call from the Clinton campaign even though he's pledged to Obama.

So why do it now? Probably to keep us in the frame of mind that Clinton will still be a viable candidate come August, like a football coach who says "we're still in this thing" to the sideline reporter at halftime when his team is down 28-3.

Of course, I just typed the score "28-3" to try to put into as many minds as possible that Clinton is down by a lot, when in fact a more accurate analogy would be 17-14 but the other team gets the ball to start the second half.

This whole thing is making me tired. Someone please win, already.

Hi, Wes! Does cythera have the day off, or are you guys trading off assignments? Have they fixed the vending machine in the basement of the RNC where you guys sit? You guys were pretty cranky there when you couldn't get your Funyuns.

But seriously, if this is the kind of troll work you are putting out these days, I'd rather you just go back to the "inexperience" nonsense, or the "weakest candidate since Dukakis" nonsense. At least that tripe was entertaining.

Just so my post isn't completely meta, I do think there's an alarming transformation here. It's gone from Team Clinton seizing on every opportunity that Obama gives them (which is smart, tough campaign tactics) to manufacturing their own opportunities. Nothing has stuck so far, so the thought that this will stick is pretty laughable.

Congratulations, Team Clinton And The RNC Trolls Who Pretend To Love Them, the only thing you've done is elect Deval Patrick to the Senate when Kerry or Kennedy steps down.

I know sports metaphors are not always welcome here, but this seemed like Matthews giving Team Clinton a bogus call in the 3rd quarter to make up for a blown call back in the 1st quarter. I saw it live, and my first thought was "ah, so here's the make good for Clinton."

Look at the way it went down. He let the Clinton supporter talk for 3 solid minutes without interrupting with a question. She gave bland talking points with no substance to them whatsoever. Then Matthews threw it to the Congressman and turned into Jack McCoy on Law and Order. He never asked Clinton's rep a similar question, he let the cross-talk and resulting awkward silence from the satellite delay make him look more incompetent, then gave Clinton's rep the last word. I thought Olbermann's response was the perfect undercut to the whole nonsense. I could imagine Matthews picking up the phone at the break and saying to Mark Penn "are we even now? Can Shuster come back? Ok? Good..."

Thank you for condescending to educate me about how the big bad old media works.

I think it’s possible that your explanation might be true, but even someone like yourself (who is not “clueless”) would have to accept that it’s only one possible explanation, and not even the most likely. Let’s see…either Matthews was building up Obama right up until the Wisconsin primary (repeat, the Wisconsin primary) only to start trying to tear him down at the precise moment that…what again? The precise moment Obama goes from 8 straight states to 9 (later 10)? The third Wednesday in February? Despite the media’s breathless proclamations (and my own personal preference) to the contrary, this race isn’t over. The Michigan/Florida issue has yet to be resolved (as ridiculous as it is to try to claim those delegates should count), the John Edwards Caucus has yet to be decided (with a winner-take all 26 delegates at stake), and the superdelegates could still swing this thing (meet the new ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, Mr. S.U. Perdelegate!). So again, Anonymous, tell me why Matthews waited until just this moment to rip off his mask, pro-wrestling style, to hit Obama in the back with a folding chair.

Now consider the alternative. Matthews, who has taken some serious heat for his treatment of Senator Clinton (he took so much heat that David Shuster got suspended just sitting in his chair), needed to be able to make credible the claim that he’s equally tough on everyone. That saves his bacon with NBC, and keeps him relevant. Doesn’t that seem just a teensy bit more likely, there, Skippy?

If you have a different take, fine. But calling me clueless for making a particular argument is just dumb. And stop posting anonymously, it just makes me assume you’re one of the trolls in the basement of the RNC trying to keep Clinton and Obama supporters yelling at each other. Good day, sir.

I loved the first line of the blog post. Whther intentional or not, it was a quote from the movie "Main Street," right after Alec Baldwin's character climbed out of a car that he had just flipped (while driving drunk with a teenaged girl in the car, maybe? Been a while since I've seen it).

But nonwithstanding the details, climbing out of an overturned car was an apt, if unintentional, metaphor.

Poor guy, I hope he doesn't get branded with this for the rest of his career.