You may never again hear Barack Obama talk about somebody's "last slender hope," and if he does, there's almost no chance it will get you as fired up as this will. From CNN:
Sen. Barack Obama accused Sen. Hillary Clinton of stoking anger in Florida and Michigan over the Democratic Party's decision not to recognize the states' primary votes.
"They weren't stirring it up when they didn't need the delegates," he said. "Let's not sort of pretend that we don't know what's going on. This is, from their perspective, their last slender hope to make arguments about how they can win."
On what the Rules and Bylaws Committee should do (Bloomberg):
"I just want them to decide how to approach this in a way in which the Florida and Michigan delegates are seated and they are happy," Obama said yesterday. "I want to be looking at them when I'm standing on stage in Denver in August," he said, referring to the Democratic National Convention.
Reuters reports that he is looking forward:
He said on Saturday he would need to "pivot quickly" in June, if he obtains the number of delegates to secure the nomination, to engage in a search for a vice presidential running mate.
Barack is operating from a position of strength, and it's clear that he's decided now is the time to bring this process to a close. Finally -- enough is enough. Time to move on.
Update: Jimmy Carter weighs in:
"I'm a superdelegate," Carter said. "I think a lot of the superdelegates will make a decision quite, announced quite rapidly, after the final primary on June 3...I have not yet announced publicly, but I think at that point it will be time for her to give it up."
Carter was asked if Clinton was achieving anything by continuing in the race.
"I think not," he said. "But of course she has the perfect right to do so."
© Jed Lewison