It's all Village kabuki.

 Clinton stumped for Holy Joe after Holy Joe gave the impeachment farce "bipartisan" cover with his Senate floor jeremiad on Monica.

 It's all for show. Bill and Hillary aren't going to care.

 Huh???

 Hillary's polling 40, 45 per cent at best. The majority of Democrats would rather have someone else be the nominee.

 Obama's there to pretend he's an alternative.

 Easiest answer ever. Barack Obama is in the race to provide the illusion of competition, not to actually compete.

 He conveniently splits the anti-Hillary vote. That's his role.

 Took the words right out of my mouth.

 Every time, the "establishment" candidate then goes out and runs a perfectly conventional campaign, takes no risks, blows off the base in an attempt to look "centrist", and... loses to the Republican.

  Nowhere in his supercilious concerns over "partisan bickering" does he utter a word about the Republicans' perpetual filibustering.

 What a sad, sorry excuse for a political analyst. Too bad we didn't have blogs in 1960 -- we could have smothered his career in the crib.

 But I think this is an excellent move on her part.

 We need more of this from ALL Democrats.

 Observation.

 The Iraq war vote being only the most egregious example.

  Observation.

 The Iraq war vote being only the most egregious example.

   Never, ever in her career has Hillary Clinton acted out of anything other than political calculation. She believes in nothing but her own personal advancement.

  It's sad to see so many Democrats fall into the personality-cult trap.

  I stand by my prediction. You can all link to it and throw it in my face next year if I'm wrong.

  But that won't happen. Hillary Clinton is not going to be our next president.

 Or do you just care about Hillary Clinton?

 I want a candidate who's not going to triangulate the Democratic Party into even greater irrelevancy than now. A candidate who will stop the killing in Iraq. A candidate who will stand up for working-class Americans. A candidate who will push for meaningful healthcare reform.

 If Hillary Clinton is that candidate, she's kept it remarkably well hidden. What, you think Murdoch threw that fundraiser for her because of her deep concern for the poor? You think big pharma is bankrolling her because they've suddenly seen the wisdom of single-payer?

 I'm more interested in what's best for America than in what's best for Hillary Clinton. Sorry if that offends you.

 I guarantee you that Hillary Clinton will NOT be the next president of the United States.

 Not gonna happen. I've never been more sure of anything in my life.

 Either she loses the primary, or she gets the nomination and gets crushed in the general, dragging the party along with her.

 I've even offered wagers to people on this. No one will take me up on it -- not even Hillary supporters.

 A Hillary Clinton candidacy will make 2002 look like a thunderous victory.

 I'm uncommitted.

 The one thing I know is that a Hillary Clinton candidacy would be toxic to the Democratic Party -- its 2008 prospects, its brand, the possibility of the party ever standing for anything again. It would be a triumph of personality cult over substance. Even in the extremely unlikely event that she won the presidency, she wouldn't get anything useful done. She's a complete slave to her many corporate contributors.

 I'm supporting a candidate who is AGGRESSIVE. Who will call out the Republicans on their horseshit without consulting 1,000 focus groups first. Who is proud to stand for Democratic values, not the watered-down Daschlesque junk that killed us in 2002 and 2004. Hillary Clinton is none of those things.

 I see some good qualities in Obama, some in Edwards, some in Richardson, and some in the others, even Biden. But I see NO reason to vote for Hillary Clinton. None.

  A candidate who's trying to win makes sure he accentuates his differences with the opposition.

  Obama hasn't gone anywhere near there. He's there to provide the illusion of a competitive primary. That's all.

 When she says she wants to end the war, I can't believe her. When she says she wants to reform healthcare, I can't believe her. She's just not credible.

 Such is the cost of always acting politically.