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Good News, and Barack News

By SusanUnPC on July 11, 2008 at 11:15 AM in Barack Obama, Electability, Hillary Clinton, Howard Wolfson, Superdelegates

Will Bowers on Neil Cavuto’s show yesterday || click the 5 bux graphic to join in:

It was bad enough that Barack Obama failed to mention Hillary Clinton’s debt at a Manhattan fundraiser Wednesday night. Only after an aide reminded him, Obama had to climb back on stage, quiet the music down, and ask the crowd to reach under their chairs for an envelope and put “something” in it. Now, via Politico’s Ben Smith, we learn that Sen. Clinton is not even receiving the courtesy of being vetted for the vice presidential slot:

On Fox, former Clinton chief strategist Howard Wolfson indicated that Hillary Clinton is not being formally considered as Obama’s running mate, in that she has not been asked to undergo the formal vetting process.

“Not as far as I know,” said Wolfson, who remains close to Clinton, in response to a question from Sean Hannity.

Wolfson, a new commentator for Fox News, gave the report a positive spin:

He continued to say that the lack of formal vetting wouldn’t necessarily rule out the possibility that Obama would choose her.

“There is more information available about Hillary in the public record than just about any other public figure in America,” he says, citing in particular the tax returns that Obama’s campaign demanded she release.

Smith speculates what the report might mean about Clinton’s standing apart from Obama:

Wolfson’s words, along with Obama’s so far anemic fundraising on Clinton’s behalf, seemed to indicate Clinton’s willingness to stand apart from Obama — as a separate power center within the party if he wins, and as an instant rival for the next nomination if he loses.

But he suggested she’d clearly also like to be Obama’s running mate.

“I think she’d be a huge asset to the ticket. I think she’d be a great addition,” he said.

Hillary would be a far better addition to the TOP of the ticket, particularly given Obama’s increasing alienation from his base and the dramatic drop in visits to his Web site .

Then there is that, for the first time, his donation receipts in May were exceeded by his expenses, and the lack of any report, as of yet, on his total donations received during the month of June — during which month John McCain brought in at least $22,000,000. This trend, like his dropping Web visits, signals a dramatic lessening in enthusiasm for Mr. Obama.

It is up to the Superdelegates to nominate the candidate who ended the primary season on a high note — with growing donations, a series of victories in key swing states, and an increasingly enthusiastic crowd of passionate supporters who have yet to leave her side.

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Memeorandum.com today’s latest news on the veepstakes. Among the reports: Chris Dodd has volunteered to the media that he has been asked for background information.