Richardson Endorses

Richardson (finally) endorses. I'm not sure whether he's going solo or if this is a sign that the supers have finally realized how destructive the unnecessary continuation of this primary is—but either way it's welcome news on top of the State department scandal and the release of Clinton's White House schedule, both of which begin to shift the narrative away from the painful Wright stuff.

If Wright had happened when Obama was "the presumptive nominee"—which is to say that everything were exactly as it is now except Clinton had admitted she'd been beat—it would have been half as damaging. Wright took hold so deeply in part because half of a divided Democratic party welcomed the news as a means to overturn the will of the voters and get Clinton installed as the nominee—if those people had instead been willing to speak with one voice to denounce the story and its terms, the cancer could have been removed with a lot less bloodletting. As it is, the Democrats are imploding, and the prospect of a united party in the fall is drifting further and further out of reach; the superdelegates can't dare let this thing go on till June, and yet they give every indication that they will.

Partial text of the endorsement:

I have made a decision to endorse Barack Obama for President....

My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall.

Gore, Edwards, Pelosi, the ball is in your court.