On May 7, Thomas Edsall, political editor of the Huffington Post, posted an article entitled Big Rewards Await Clinton If She Ends Campaign Now.

In the piece, Edsall stated: "One of the most inviting [rewards] is the near certainty that the Obama campaign would agree to pay back the $11.4 million she has loaned her own bid, along with an estimated $10 million to $15 million in unpaid campaign expenses."

Edsall's not an idiot.  He knew when he wrote that line that it wasn't true.  It's a clear violation of campaign finance law for Obama to pay off Clinton's debt.  So why did he write it?

According to the New York Times, Obama was asked about this in Woodburn, Oregon on Friday--probably in response to rumors that are now circulating among Obama's supporters.  Obama's answer was vague, unfortunately.  I suspect he will need to keep his answers vague for the time being, but it's clearly creating some anxiety among his supporters.

So what's is Edsall up to?  Is he a Republican, trying to damage Obama's fundraising capabilities?  A Clinton supporter?  A racist?

The Obama campaign needs to make a clear, unequivocal statement about this.  All they'd need to do is state that it would be illegal for the campaign to pay off Clinton's debt.  Edsall clearly has an agenda, and the Obama campaign needs to shut him down--quickly.

For two days, Thomas B. Edsall, political director of Huffington Post, has been flogging an completely fabricated story about how the Obama campaign is planning to retire Hillary Clinton's campaign debt.  What's he up to?  What's his agenda?  Anyone know what's up with this guy?  He needs to go down.

On Tuesday, November 4th, Americans will have the opportunity to end an 8-year nightmare.  But only one candidate offers you hope.  The other offers four more years of hell.

Four more years of war in Iraq.  Four more years of economic collapse.  Four more years without a plan for health care coverage for all Americans.  Four more years of giving tax breaks to Big Oil and to the richest Americans, while the poorest Americans go ignored and the middle class pays the bills.  Four more years of watching gas prices rise.  Four more years of watching the Supreme court turned into a kangaroo court for the Republican Party.  Four more years of wondering how long it will be before we invade Iran.  Four more years of watching your civil rights go down the toilet.  Four more years of partisan bickering and rancor.  Four more years of being treated like shit by your own government.  Four more years of watching America being turned into a subsidiary of Big Business, Inc.

It's your choice, but your choice is no longer between Hillary and Obama.  Your choice now is between hope and hell.  Don't let this family fight get in the way of your reason. 

On January 20th, 2009, the hell that George W. Bush has brought to your life will be over forever.  On that day, we will either be signing on for another four years of the hell we have lived through for the past eight years, or we will be looking at a new America.  Your choice.  Please don't blow it.  Please don't forget who your real enemy is.

I think today's piece in Time magazine may hold a clue as to why Hillary is staying in the race, even after her chances to win have evaporated:

"Clinton's calculation is as much about history as it is about politics. As the first woman to have come this far, Clinton has told those close to her, she wants people who invested their hopes in her to see that she has given it her best."

If that's truly the reason, then good for her and God bless her.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1738331,00.html

I have a good friend--female, in her mid-50s--who is an ardent Hillary supporter.  She's been waiting years for this election.  Hillary as president is something she was absolutely certain she would see in her lifetime.  Not only that, but she's bought into all the Clinton talking points, and she believes Obama is a complete charlatan.  She's told me many times, and in no uncertain terms, that there is "NO WAY" she would vote for Obama.  She cites all the standard garbage: he's too inexperienced, an African-American can't win, "he hasn't done anything" in his career, etc., etc.

She's incredibly disappointed by what's happened, of course, but she told me last night: "Oh, I'll vote for him.  I sure the hell don't want McCain in the White House."

I think that's how it's going to go once Hillary finally drops out.  And I don't think Obama's going to have a problem winning over white men either.  I'm not worried.

Have you heard "Barack the Magnificent" by Trinidadian musician Mighty Sparrow?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjKmpIlFn8 

Have you seen this:

http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/15860

Or this:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL0444578520080504

Or this:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4101774&page=1

Or this:

http://worldmeets.us/diarioeconomico000014.shtml

The entire world is waiting for our guy.

According to Real Clear Politics, Hillary has now lost the "popular vote" argument--no matter how you add things up:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/democratic_vote_count.html

Forget goalposts--the only way she wins now is if she steals the ball.

This one's worth keeping an eye on.  According to Drudge, Hillary's not finding many takers for meetings today.  If that's true, she's really done.

"CONGRESSIONAL SOURCE: Hillary having trouble finding superdelegates who will meet with her... 'No one wants to see her today'"

http://www.drudgereport.com/

For the first time in weeks, Hillary Clinton has pulled slightly ahead in Pollster's aggregated poll results.

http://www.pollster.com/08-US-Dem-Pres-Primary.php

While the press has been talking about the Wright controversy being the primary drag on Obama's campaign, I think that explanation is simpleminded.  As I pointed out in another post, Hillary has been running virtually unopposed by the Republicans.  All of their fire is trained on Obama.  Not only that, but he's under attack from the Clinton campaign and Clinton surrogates as well.

This is what happens to a frontrunner when he's under attack from a member of his own party.  This is why Hillary's campaign has become little more than destructive.  Obama should, at this point, be getting the full support of the Democratic Party.  Instead, he's got a fellow Democrat nipping at his heels while he works to defeat McCain.

Just to put this all in perspective: Indiana has not voted for a Democrat in a presidential election since 1964.  George W. Bush easily won Indiana in both 2000 and 2004. In 1998, Mike Dukakis won the Indiana Democratic primary.  George H.W. Bush won the state in the general election.  In 1992, Bill Clinton won the primary and George H.W. Bush won the state.  In 1996, Bill Clinton won the primary and Bob Dole won the state. 

Indiana is overwhelmingly Republican, which is why Hillary is running as a Republican there.  She desperately needs to win Indiana.  Obama does not.  Neither Democrat will win Indiana in November.