Clinton's Last Stand

After five months, the Democratic Party is down to the final two. When voters in Montana and South Dakota add their voices to the 35 million Democratic primary voters who have already weighed in, the party will have a nominee. Or not.

While Montana was the site of Custer's last stand, Hillary Clinton has not given up the fight. Still, the election outcomes won't change the primary fact that Barack Obama has effectively clinched the nomination.But the terms of Clinton's surrender have to be negotiated. The Washington Post reports:

Clinton sent mixed signals about her plans throughout the day Monday. As her campaign recalled field staffers to New York, one adviser indicated that she would suspend, but not end, her campaign within days. But the candidate herself said she will continue to argue to the group of party insiders who will hold sway over the final outcome that her strong showing in recent contests demonstrates that she would be the more electable candidate in November.

To soften the blow, Obama sent Clinton some flowery language:

Senator Clinton has run an outstanding race, she is an outstanding public servant, and she and I will be working together in November.

But he's not waiting for Clinton to make up her mind. Nor is he waiting for the roughly 150 superdelegates who remain on the sidelines. Though he's short of the 2,118 delegates needed to cross the finish line, Obama reportedly will claim victory tonight.

Meanwhile, WomenCount PAC has placed an ad in Roll Call and The Hill newspapers targeting to uncommitted superdelegates:

You're still not listening. Our votes are our voices.

Amy Rao, one of WomenCount's co-founders, said:

We want the superdelegates to take a long hard look at the electoral map and the primary math. Not only has Senator Clinton won the popular vote, she has won the key states that are crucial to any Democrat winning the White House in the fall.

I have a message to the women behind the woman: Listen up. It's over.