I agree that after a close race like this, it would be unwise to ignore Hillary. She should be given an upper-level role in the administration (majority leader?) and maybe even offered the vice presidency.

However, I also see the pitfall for Obama here. He is trying to create a fresh, new political landscape. Selecting Hillary might not help him achieve this goal.

That's an interesting bit of spin. Sounds as though the Clintons are now angling for the VP spot. Is that what this is all about? Putting enough pressure on Obama so that he has to pick them for VP now that their Presidential hopes are fading? Sounds like it.

Nice bank shot. Basically Barack Obama is painted into a corner on this. If he says unequivocally that he wouldn't consider sharing a ticket with Clinton he comes off as not a team player and feeds the emerging "all-about-me" narrative. If he says he would, he risks losing people who are on the fence and may like him and his speeches but would go for Clinton in a second if they thought it was a two-fer.

This really is soooo pathetic. I love this quote, "In light of the acrimony in the race." Who exactly caused the acrimony, uh the clintons. So, let me see if I get this, the clintons stir up as much acrimony as possible and then point to all the acrimony as the reason why it should be a joint ticket.

They did the same thing with the race baiting garbage before NEW HAMPSHIRE. They injected race and stirred the pot and obama didn't say squat. They won nh in part based on the race baiting, then after stirring it up and winning nh, they wanted to call a truce and said that race shouldn't be injected.

This is sooo pathetic. Send the clintons packing. Typical clintonion politics. I just hope that obama does not bite on the clinton vp bs. Clinton on the ticket dooms the dems in november. She can stir up all the acrimony she wants sitting on the french riviera sipping champagne with her buds. It's time to turn the page.

Man, their internal polling must really suck.

Obama's handled it just fine: I just saw Susan Rice on MSNBC and she reiterated Obama's statements that Hillary Clinton would be on anybody's short list.

Here's how I see it: Hillary ain't gonna do nothing to try to win back the 50% of the democratic party and the 90% of black support she has squandered. She'll assume we'll fall in line, as if all voters are party insiders. She'll announce party unity but do precious little to achieve it. She truly believes she's the dragonslayer and can do it on her own.

Obama, on the other hand, will do what he can to assuage the misgivings and negative feelings the Clinton supporters will have, and win a good portion of them back. He walks the walk when it comes to party unity and party building.

He will have compelling arguments for whomever he chooses as VP. I think it's obvious HIllary would need Barack a whole lot more than Barack would need Hillary. Frankly, I don't see her being second fiddle, no matter what. The point is moot.

"'Senator Obama, you said Senator Clinton wasn't trustworthy; how can you make her vice-president?'"

That question has an easier answer: "I'm not going to make her vice-president."

The more Ed Rendell speaks, the less credibility he has. Seeing him on the talk shows the past few days saying how the candidate with the most delegates, most votes and most contests won should somehow not be the nominee is just insane.

What about Sinbad? Don't I get love?

Clinton/Sinbad '08 - We might win Arkansas!

Obama needs to find a way to buy her off.

Then she will stop scorched earth, but more importantly, she needs to be persuaded to campaign for him in the states she won, and among women and Latinos.

But she is too toxic for VP.

Somethign else. I'd say Senate majority leader.

Rendell is a great gaffe machine. Gotta love him.

IS he saying what the Clinton camp knows of just speaking off the top of his head????

I'd be interested if this shows the Clintons know their time is up. It's a lot of money we're talking about here. Maybe DNC insiders are telling her to give up.

Probably wishful thinking. Hillary is the type of person who would rather the whole ship goes down if she has to.

0% chance she becomes his VP. Thank God.

Can't help seeing this as promising:

--- I don't think Rendell would say it without authorization, which means that Clinton is at least **thinking** about ending this farce before convention. (By the time of convention, there's little to gain and the two of them will be much too polarized, I think.)

--- IF he did say it without authorization, that's even better, because it's a signal to Clinton from her currently-most-important supporter that HE thinks it should end! The two people with the most 'clout' to convince her to stop are Bill Clinton and Ed Rendell. And if they see a big humiliation coming, they might just do that.

And, repeating myself from other posts, if that is what she will accept to stop all this, the only way she gets VP on an Obama ticket is if she goes to him with a solid offer, and promise to cease hostilities *and* not sabotage the campaign, NOW! - this week, after the MS primary. There isn't another logical 'stopping point' until after PA .... and once PA is finished, it's easier coasting for him from there on. The gains from accepting her as VP later on become pretty small.

Right now, however, she can offer six whole weeks that could be spent concentrating on the Republicans, not tearing up the Dems, and avoiding all the expense and potential setback of a PA contest -- oh, and obviating the need for a do-over in MI and FL. For the sake of party unity and sanity - and to vastly improve the chance of success in Nov. -- he'd have to consider the offer NOW. And I think his anxious and exhausted supporters would accept his putting her in VP if we gained a final, peaceful conclusion to all of this NOW. But after this week, or next week at the latest, the value of such a compromise will be seriously diminished.

Ideally, however, she will think of another 'offer' that will be as acceptable as VP. Actually, I think she would be very good on the Sup. Ct. She has a good legal mind, certainly knows how to fight (which is required - just a different type), and it's total job security. Plus it would give every right-winger a really, REALLY bad case of hives!!!

Come on, Mississippi, do your part!! A good, solid win there tonight ... with the prospect of six empty but exhausing weeks ahead ... might set the stage for something to happen: an agreement like this, movement of SDs, something!

Off topic but

Hey did anyone notice this at RCP:

General Election McCain-Obama McCain-Clinton
National Obama +5.2 Clinton +1.7
Pennsylvania Obama +2.0 McCain +0.3

McCain currently beats Clinton in PA!

Obama wins in PA according to them.

So what's the rationale for Ed Rendell?

I love how the MSM buys the bs Clinton narratives about winning the "big states". More like rigging the big state, and promptly losing them in a real contest she can't rig (ie. the general election)