With each missed opportunity, the pressure to cut a deal and to put this thing will only get greater. Her window is closing, and if she wants her debt retired or her platform planks addressed by Obama's campaign, she needs to act soon.

Obviously, no one has the power to compel superdelegtes to make up their mind, but it might help to frame the call for them to decide by announcing an unofficial "Superdelegate Primary" this week. Party leaders could say that on a given day (Thursday, Friday, or whatever), uncommitted superdelegates should announce their preference for a candidate.

Not only might this put some PR pressure on superdelegates to announce their choice, but it would go a little ways toward making the role of the superdelegates seem less smokey-back-room-ish. By framing the choice of the superdelegates as the final primary, it suggests a parallel between their role and those of the voters. True, that parallel would be inexact, to say the very least, but it would at least make the whole superdelegate process seem like more like part of the larger nominating procedure and not an entirely separate contest. In other words, it would add a sense of democracy to what is (in the case of superdelegates) an obviously undemocratic process.

Not that many superdelegates would go for this without pressure. I'm sure each one wants her/his turn in the spotlight as an individual to announce their preference rather than being part of a group. But hey, that's what the rest of us voters have to do.

Party leaders should be recognizing Obama as the party's nominee, rather than letting Clinton hold the party hostage.

Any undeclared at this point are the ones that least wanted the responsibility of picking the nominee, and most wanted to avoid alienating either candidate and their supporters.

still critically dead...

who cares about uncommitted delegates at this point ? Obama has enough delegates NOW !

If Pelosi,Reid,and Dean had spines,they would declare Obama the presumptive nominee and plan accordingly.

As much respect as I lost for Bill and Hillary in this primary, I lost even more for the leadership of the DNC and for that matter for the superdelegates. They have been spineless in the face of Clinton's antagonism.

She's made them step back every time they've so much as looked sideways at her. And I bet we'll see some backtracking on this tough talk now. I mean, what are they going to do? Go to superdelegate's houses and beat them up? Go to Hillary and tell her she's uncredentialed? NO, they'll rattle their nerf sabers and watch as she undermines Barack all the way to a brokered convention and wring their frail little hands.

Obama is black

Obama is wack

Obama smokes crack

Or some variation on that is what McCain will say. And the Dems will be too polite to correct them. Obama doesn't windsurf but I'm sure he cuts a mean conga line. Meanwhile the GOP is lining up another Cheney for McCain.

Go job, assholes.

Three simple lines will be enough...

McCain

McBush

McSame

speaking of herself in the 3rd person, repeatedly.

Are you delusional?

Clinton killed Vince Foster

Clinton wants you to see gov't doctors you don't know

Clinton will socialize our industry because she is a communist

Travelgate

Whitewater

Bill's honeys on the side

You are going to see scum and slime from them no matter what. Just look st McCain's dirtball speech last night, it's the same talking points.

Get ready for the same old crap, as the GOP has no platform aside from...

Be afraid of terrorists

The Dems will raise your taxes

They'll surrender to the UN

They'll make abortion and gay marriage mandatory

Have you not been paying attention? Every GOP campaign since Nixon has followed this formula.

But they woulda taken it easy on Hillary, right?

All he has to do is recite the list of Republication accomplishments.

(sound of crickets chirping)

So what?

I want Dem leaders to lock themsleves in a room for a week and beat each other with sticks over the way this nomination process has gone.

But you know how it goes.

Can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime...

I guess I got fifteen minutes.. Okay, let's all group hug Hillary supporters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesyhrRYtB0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69QcfiPmwaU&feature=related

Here's a gem although he's no Tim Russert (lol):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUBQz0-XrZw&feature=related

Is this who we should be "embracing"? It kind of creeps me out!

Hillary Clinton wants to talk about "what Hillary wants". Salon wants to post more articles about how the race might not be over.

In the meantime, the rest of the world moves on. And on, and on, and on. (Psst: It's over. It's been over for months. But then we've been telling you that, so why expect you to listen now?)

I'm actually wondering how Joan Walsh will spin this into "How this is bad for Obama's chances."

Every time I think an assessment like that is too harsh, she proves me wrong. About my thinking it was too harsh, I mean.

Watch this space.

The day after it's 100% decided, we'll take a firm stand. And still be kinda wishy-washy about it cause we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

It wasn't sexism. It wasn't Obamatons/Obamabots or whatever Kotex (yeah, I went there you tired harpy) names them and derides them for being big meanies. Try this:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121252558317842545.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

It.

Was.

Hers.

To.

Lose.

And she did. Blame Mark Penn. Blame her campaign staff for not getting it and not standing up. As soon as you can do that, I bet just about every single Obama supporter who is rational and reasonable will welcome you and tell you that you don't have to be Gary Hart. Be Ted Kennedy, minus the contentious convention of course because look where that got us.