The Buzz

Please hang in there with us while we continue to battle with internet connection glitches at our HQ. The problem comes and goes, leaving us with either normal access for only limited amounts of time or no connection at all. The timing of this bug is most unfortunate…

• The immediate aftermath of Hillary’s win in Pennsylvania may be helpful to the NY Senator, but the actual numbers of the race remain unchanged. She trails in delegates, popular vote and in the national polls.  And some make the argument that HRC is even further behind in her desperate fight to overtake Obama the clean way - without Michigan and Florida - after triumph in the Keystone State. The amount of delegates that she needs to catch the Dem frontrunner in the remaining state primaries jumped from 63% to 68% following her impressive - but not impressive enough, apparently - win.  This is the seamy underbelly of the Clinton campaign: It’s very existence at this point is based on huge gambles and what-if’s in MI and FL, with the only option left without those states involving overwhelming victories in each and every contest remaining. It’s an open question as to whether or nor HRC is still a viable candidate. But nobody seems to care…

• Besides pushing for the acceptance of the controversial Michigan and Florida delegates (more on that later), the Clinton camp is formulating their current strategy around pressing Obama for  yet another debate. The idea behind it is simple: Obama tanked in the last debate, drawing nearly all of the fire while Hillary sits in the corner, looking pensive and very professional with her impressive policy credentials while spitting bullets at Obama. The Philly showdown could be said to have delivered her the 10 point victory on Tuesday. An Indiana debate is in the works, but Hillary wants one for each. She launched an appeal to Obama’s camp in North Carolina today calling for a one-on-one debate for the Tarheel State, too.
  • She made a pitch for her campaign’s interactive “NC Ask Me” feature, in which people can submit questions online and get an answer — some of which have been used in television ads. “It has been great, and we’ve gotten over 14,000 questions,” she said. “We have answered every one of those questions. But the only question I can’t answer is why Sen. Obama won’t debate me in North Carolina. And I’d sure like to give an answer.” She said that each upcoming state deserves their own debate, because “the issues in Pennsylvania are not the same as the issues in North Carolina,” and “the issues in North Carolina aren’t the same as the issues in Indiana.”

• Is the Dem brass finally prepared to directly intervene in the marathon Democratic primary? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said just that yesterday, announcing his intention to launch a joint effort with Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean to send out letters to undecided superdelegates before the end of next month telling them to make their choice in the race before the end of June. It’s another sign that the DNC and top Dems are coming together in a more concerted effort to end the bitter Hillary vs. Obama battle. With Hillary needing every last bit of the primary season to make up ground, it’s a tough blow. And it could lead to a very tough decision: Defy Dean and the Dem brass to continue her quixotic quest, or fall in line and end her bid?

• He will just not let it go. McCain is at it again on Obama’s frayed connections to “terrorist” and ex-Weatherman Bill Ayers. After his rather embarrassing meltdown on This Week a while back, JMac is pressing the issue once more on the stump. On a blogger conference call this morning, he again demanded that Obama apologize for Ayers’ actions/comments and “repudiate” said actions/comments. Not sure what that exactly means, but McCain is pretty adamant on the deal. “I think not only a repudiation, but an apology for ever having anything to do with an unrepentant terrorist is due the American people,” McCain said.

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