Clinton Soldiers On Despite Setbacks: But an anonymous adviser speaks about her future

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: NO VALEDICTORY
Clinton Soldiers On Despite Setbacks
By Anne E. Kornblut and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writers
Saturday, February 23, 2008; Page A08


Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to supporters at an early voting event in Dallas. (Rick Gershon/Getty Images)

....Inside Clinton's inner circle on Friday, the feeling was that the Thursday night debate in Austin was unlikely to slow Obama's momentum from 11 straight primary and caucus victories. Some supporters said they had discussed how to raise with Clinton the subject of withdrawing from the race should she fail to win decisively on March 4. One option was to wait a day or two and then dispatch emissaries to former president Clinton to urge him to make the case.

One adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely, said Obama's 17-point Wisconsin victory on Tuesday had started to sink in as a decisive blow, given that the state had been viewed weeks earlier as a level playing field.

"The mathematical reality at that point became impossible to ignore," the adviser said. "There's not a lot of denial left at this point."

Despite Clinton's public pronouncements of optimism, this adviser said: "She knows where things are going. It's pretty clear she has a big decision. But it's daunting. It's still hard to accept."

Some Democratic political sources said discussion has begun about encouraging Clinton to transition into a different party leadership role, one that could carry her on a path to becoming Senate majority leader. That course had been discussed even before Clinton announced her presidential campaign. "People who care about her are worried about her long-term future," the adviser said....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022203028_pf.html

[Mme. Defarge]

1. Thanks for the post.