NANCY KEENAN FEELS THE LOVE

In DC, it doesn't get worse than this

Although the ole Hilldog went on CNN today and endorsed Obama over McCain-- "Anybody who has ever voted for me or voted for Barack has much more in common in terms of what we want to see happen in our country and in the world with the other than they do with John McCain"-- she still has every intention of using every means available to win the nomination for herself. And she has every right to-- as long as we don't learn about more precincts in Harlem and Bed-Stuy coming in with 100% of their votes for her.

But if you heard any of the worst of the hard-core Clinton dead-enders-- especially Howard Wolfson, Terry McAuliffe or Lanny Davis-- you know they're not getting ready to toss in any hats, regardless of what it does to the Democratic Party or Obama's ability to win in November. Ed Rendell seemed to indicate she'd back off if Obama makes her his running mate but with new polls showing Hillary could beat McCain-- albeit not by as much as Obama could-- she ain't giving up and playing nice.

When NARL president Nancy Keenan endorsed Obama today, the Clinton camp came out with all guns firing. Clintonistas started calling all the Democratic-affiliated groups in DC and demanding-- to put it politely-- that no one else follow suit... or else.

I've had my differences with NARL-- the incredibly stupid Lieberman endorsement first and foremost-- but today they showed some real leadership and some clear big picture thinking. McCain-- who says he is eager to appoint federal judges like Alito, Scalia, Thomas as Roberts (judges he fought for in the past, all of whom would do anything they could to destroy Roe v Wade)-- doesn't have an opponent challenging him on NARL's one and only issue: Choice. McCain doesn't deserve a free pass on that-- especially not with the corporate media trying to pass him off as "moderate" (meaning pro-choice in the minds of millions of moderate women) and with his campaign sending out disingenuous trial balloons about loosening up the virulently anti-choice Republican platform. Today Keegan-- unlike Wolfson, McAuliffe, Davis and the Clintons-- had her eye exactly where it should be: on the prize.

Other Insider groups with their own sets of loyalties and their own axes to grind-- particularly Emily's List-- jumped on NARL for Clinton but, let's be real: Obama is just as pro-choice as Clinton; there is no difference in the woman candidate and women are being manipulated with false hope and a sense of grievance is being developed by the Clinton campaign against Obama as though he is cheating her and them out of a woman President. Every day Clinton talks about swing state and white voters or hard working voters voting for her, she is implicitly saying these voters will not vote for Obama-- and if she doesn't it implicitly, her most venal surrogates (see above) are less subtle. Clinton and her campaign are giving white working class and women voters permission-- and a quasi-legitimate excuse-- to oppose Obama without having to think of themselves in any unflattering terms.

Clinton is working to move the most loyal Democratic constituencies, African Americans and women, away from what's good for the party-- getting this thing over with and working for the actual nominee-- in ways that could alienate and separate these voters from the party and do really long term harm. Turning off women and African Americans could cost the Democrats in November. And never forget, the repulsive, grasping Clinton crew won't quit for their own loss of power. There is no doubt in my mind that they-- unlike Hillary-- would rather see the party lose, than lose power in the party. I wonder if they'll rip into John Edwards today too.