End game (or not)

Speaking to the Democratic Party Convention last night, Sen. Hillary Clinton pitched lots of chum into the water -- from two separate buckets.

With her right hand, she dutifully shoveled pro-Obama and anti-McCain bait to the party faithful. Her left, however, was busy tossing bloody crumbs to her PUMAs -- not enough to satisfy their hunger, but more than enough to keep them hanging around the boat.

Sen. Clinton's address began selflessly enough, a full-frontal embrace of Sen. Barack Obama, but again and again she waxed wistful about her failed campaign. She repeatedly there-thered her "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pantsuits."

"You taught me so much, and you made me laugh, and, yes, you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives, and you became part of mine."

There are no stop signs on Memory Lane, and so Sen. Clinton's interminable "farewell tour" rolls on. Can't you just feel the catharsis?

(snif, sob)

Standing in a fractious climate of her own making, she paid only lip service to party unity. Take this attempt at cat-herding:

"I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me, or were you in it for...all the people in this country who feel invisible?"

Now there's a question she shouldn't have begged.

It was answered on behalf of all PUMAs by tearful delegate Anne Price-Mills, who was interviewed by CNN after the speech:

"You know that was presidential. You know it!"

"I need (Sen. Obama) to remember that there were 18 million voices that recognized the potential of that woman to lead this country and I don’t think he’s done that."

Ms. Price-Mills went on angrily to assure the world that while she won't vote for Sen. John McCain, she may well stay home on November 4th -- unless, presumably, Sen. Obama dumps Sen. Joe Biden for Sen. Clinton.

Maybe Michelle and Barack could re-name the Obama daughters Hillary and Chelsea...

Then again, this isn't really about Hillary Clinton anymore, is it? The monster she created now needs its master only for inspiration -- and again last night, she delivered.

Sen. McCain must be pleased.