Nice Washington Post piece by Eugene Robinson.

Recall that the Michigan primary, like the Florida contest, was not legitimate. Period. As far as the party was concerned — and as far as Clinton herself was concerned, before she fell behind Barack Obama — the primary never happened. None of the candidates campaigned in Michigan. Obama’s name wasn’t even on the ballot.

Yet, in the interest of party unity, the rules committee came up with a formula that gave Clinton credit for 69 delegates that she “won” running virtually unopposed in a vote that technically never took place. Ickes and the angry Clinton supporters who protested the committee meeting objected to the fact that Obama was awarded Michigan delegates that he didn’t win. But Clinton, too, was awarded delegates she didn’t win, because — remember? — there was no legitimate Michigan primary…

As I write, Clinton still hasn’t conceded. My guess is that it’s because Bill still can’t come to terms with the thought that he might no longer be the world’s leading Alpha Male.

Richard Cohen, meanwhile, is pessimistic.

So I see little to be happy about, little that pleases my jaundiced eye. Yes, voter participation is way up and in the end, the Democrats will choose a woman or an African American and, to invoke that tiresome phrase, history will be made. But this messy nominating process has eroded the standing of both candidates. It has highlighted the reality that racism still runs deep and that misogyny, although more imagined than real, is not yet a wholly spent force. This is an ugly porridge that has been placed before us, turned rancid since the cold, pristine days of Iowa only five months ago. We were, with apologies to Bob Dylan, so much younger then.

Reading between his lines, he thinks that the latent racism of many Americans will hand the presidency to John McCain.

Hillary Clinton said something foolish the other day, and has spent the time since trying to extricate herself.

BRANDON, South Dakota (CNN) — Sen. Hillary Clinton said Friday that she regretted comments that evoked the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy as part of her explanation for why she was staying in the presidential race late into the primary season.

Earlier Friday afternoon, she told the editorial board of the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Argus Leader that “My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. I don’t understand it,” she said.

As devoted readers will know, the dangers to Obama in a gun-crazy culture have been on my mind too. But I’m not running for the nomination. What’s unacceptable is that Clinton appeared to be using the possibility of Obama’s assassination as a reason for staying in the Democratic race ‘just in case…’.

Dave Winer posted an MP3 of Keith Olbermann’s rant on the subject. It would have been just as effective at a quarter of the length. Olbermann hasn’t heard that brevity is the soul of wit.

According to Slate Barack Obama is now 127.5 delegates away from the nomination (or 121.5 if you count seven pledged delegates who previously supported Edwards). Wonder what’s keeping Clinton going.