"It's still fashionable to blame zealous pro-Clinton PUMAs for the schism, and call them menopausal, cranky freaks. There are a few out there. But I think there are also rational Democrats still shaking their heads over how the civil-rights-championing Clintons were turned into racist white scapegoats."

Nope. I hope he doesn't speak.

I want the delegates who were promised to Hillary to get a chance to vote for her in the convention. If the Democratic Super Delegates still want to go on record as thinking Obama is the best candidate for President, after his tacking left, right, left again ... and think that the country really IS Center LEFT, they're nuts. It's not. The rising support for off-shore drilling, and gaining momentum for some revisit to nuclear power demonstrate that if Obama really believes he can avoid doing one or both, in the next decade, he's nuts.

Drilling could be expedited as a "critical and demanding issue." Which could mean: hiring whatever staffers it takes to expedite, with prudence, environmental oversight, and speedier processing of drilling leases. In fact, the bitter truth is, while we might see some of that off-shore oil within eight years, it's not reasonable to think less than that. Even so, whether that finally amounts to say, 1 or 2 more years of American oil for our own use, it's something that every American can see as one form of "action." Nuclear power, if I'm not mistaken, has been tried by both France and perhaps Germany and Japan. They all seem to have used it wisely, carefully, and to their great advantage.

As far as I can tell, nuclear desalination is the only way to "go" when it comes to taking salt out of water. Water will be our next big problem. We are warned we'll have MORE not less sea ice melt, so why not desalinate and help replenish our supplies. Obama has said "no" to both, but the momentum of growing oil problems will push him aside.

Senator Clinton, being a moderate, won an enormous # of red "counties" that either Gore had won/Kerry had lost, or, even Gore didn't win. As such, she would have carried the day. Obama is a phony. He's just every bit as much a politician as any of the others. The Ultra Liberal Elitist wing of the Party, however, will blister him if he does NOT tack back Left on many issues. The Republicans will gain seats in House & Senate in 2010. Clinton could work with far more Republicans than Obama can, and will.

I am a man. I read that 6 out of 10 former Clintonites have switched to Obama. I read the holdouts are predominantly men. Women have let themselves down by not standing as firmly for Senator Clinton. Rationalizing their switch is a cop out. They had the strongest, most informative, most salient woman candidate for President they're likely to get for quite awhile, if Obama wins. Obama, on the other hand, is probably the only African-American to have this kind of shot. Women got the vote AFTER African-Americans. They've been treated more poorly, longer, than African-Americans.

In four years, trust me, a number of Hispanic-Americans will have begun rising through political ranks. This is the pinnacle of African-American power in the political game. After this, the Hispanic population will surpass African-Americans in political power. They will come on strong, and they already have the demographics to edge African-Americans out of the way.

Not so with women. Women could have been and still are, closer to making history, if they'll play hard ball, than African-Americans. And, Senator Clinton is no token. She's tough, intelligent, agile on her feet, informed, an far and away, a more accomplished LEGISLATOR with critical experience as a former First Lady, and, Senator, and leaves Obama in the dust on those points.

Women should stand firm. Demand that the rolls be called, and delegates stand up and state: I vote for Senator Clinton. Screw the Party unity. This is a point which needs made. I am proud to have been a male supporter of Senator Clinton. I think McCain is showing himself to be about as dynamic as lead paint drying. His sarcasm will only make him look pathetic and a sour apple. If he'd take Michael Bloomberg as his VP, I'd vote for him. McCain won't last four years. He NEEDS someone like Bloomberg, to be his #2. That would be brilliant.

At this point, I think Bloomberg and Ron Paul should both run. Obama'd win, but we'd have more legitimate choices. It's time for Coalition Government in our country. Senator Clinton will, if I am permitted, get my write in vote. I urge everyone who has had enough equivocating, to write her name in. So what if Obama wins by a smaller margin? With 13% of voters undecided, I'm not sure he WILL win. The Red State Phenomenon, which prevailed in many primaries Clinton won, won't go away. There will not be a true way to gauge honest answers to pollsters. Tom Bradley effect WILL play out nationally, perhaps 5% in many states.

Clinton can beat McCain with her eyes closed.

Women, please, stand firm. Insist Clinton get every vote she won. It will still "go" to Obama, but now is not the time to play the compliant spouse of the collective male ego of our country. Women should say: hell no, I won't roll on this one. WE have the best candidate.

LET Obamistas whine, as they will. Making Clintons out to be racists essentially made a LOT of us racists, because there was nothing either said that wasn't true. I fought for Civil Rights in the 60s (and in Vietnam), but Obama's running reveals there are plenty of African-Americans who NEVER feel they've been given enough support.

Fine.

Ignore that problem, at least for the convention and the election. Insist Clinton gets her day at the former, and a write in, on the latter. Principles mean more than winning.

...Obama doesn't "reach out," he belatedly reacts only when he's helped create another untenable situation for himself. Obama is incapable, at this point, of pulling the party together. His catharsis-dissing comment didn't help him one bit. (When he's unscripted, he's tone deaf. He lacks the ability to show compassion, IMO.)

Obama's reaching out to Bill Clinton, finding him a place at the convention, and pulling the party together after a few months in which people on both sides behaved badly, could go a long way to accomplishing the same thing. I hope it is really going to happen.

Well, Joan, just hop on that "hope" bandwagon! Hope all you want. Fulfillment of that hope is quite another kettle of fish.