Senator Clinton to Concede Delegates Tonight

According to the Associated Press and confirmed by two of my confidential sources, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) will concede Tuesday night that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation’s first female president. The former first lady will stop short of formally suspending or ending her race in her speech in New York City. She will pledge to continue to speak out on issues like health care. But for all intents and purposes, the two senior officials said, the campaign is over. The senator will not formally withdraw from the nominating contest, giving her delegates a place at the convention, and giving her leverage to negotiate with the Obama campaign on several issues, including the possibility of the vice presidential nomination. My sources tell me that she will passionately emphasize the importance of health care and is keen to discuss this with Barack Obama, and these discussions would take place as early as today or tomorrow either in New York or in Washington, D.C.

Most paid campaign staffers will be let go and will be paid through June 15th. Former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe said on “The Today Show” that once Obama gets the majority of delegates he things that “Hillary Clinton will congratulate him and call him the nominee”.

Senator Clinton will address key supporters, staff, and donors tonight in New York City following the results of the South Dakota and Montana primaries. Many insiders view this as a concession speech, and the beginning of healing within the Democratic Party. She will have a role at the convention, including a primetime address to the delegates.

For those who supported Hillary Clinton, particularly the volunteers, this is not good news for you. If I can give you some solace, I have tasted defeat many times in Democratic Politics, and particularly Democratic Primaries. Your work has not gone to waste. You got involved which is more than a lot of people can say. You used your time, your money, and your bodies to get out the vote for your candidate. You believed in her and believed she was the right choice for the country.  You are nothing short of patriots. Hold your heads high and revel in your role in the process.  This was a historical primary season for the Democratic Party. Who would have thought 20 years ago that the front-runners for the Democratic nomination would be a former First Lady and an African-American.  We as a country have made history and it shows that we are ahead of the curve of the political pundits and experts that said America was not ready for a woman or an African-American.  By millions of votes, Americans  of all colors and stripes proved them wrong. It is my hope that Barack Obama offers the vice presidential nomination to Senator Clinton. I think this unity ticket would be a powerful force to be dealt with in November. It can also shatter the glass ceiling once and for all, one that was only dented by President Kennedy when he became this nation’s first and only Catholic President. Glass ceilings are indeed shattering all over the place in many industries, and in many civic arenas.  Gay marriage is becoming a possibility in many states. There is a fundamental shift in race relations at the grassroots level.  There is still more work to be done. But as many people around this country undergo a personal transformation within themselves, our country is changing. People are taking very seriously the dreams of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” that was promised by the founding fathers in our Declaration of Independence

People want their voices heard. They are tired of the War in Iraq. Economic insecurity plagues the land and social ills are once again coming to the forefront. Gender issues have silently crept into this presidential race and the definition of all are created equal is coming to mean something new. Americans by birth and Americans by choice are making their voices heard across the land.  They want hope.  They want our country to be seen again as a moral leader in the world, taking the lead on global warming, ending world hunger, curing cancer and AIDS, upholding human and civil rights.

In the end, this is what the Democratic Party should courageously stand for in November and as this campaign moves forward. The plight of the elderly, the inadequacy of the educational system, the increasing violence both in our homes and in our streets, the scourge of addiction, a war that is costing us more than money, but our very reputation.  The time has come to take  strong stands on the issues and choose the “Harder Right” rather than the “Easy Wrong” Sacrifices will have to be made. The bill that the Bush administration will leave behind will come due, along with many of the things left undone on the domestic front. We can’t sit on the middle of the fence and try to be all things to all people.  We can’t let the Republicans swift boat us this time.  My friends, this is going to be a battle for the soul of our country. We need to get behind the ticket and get behind Democratic candidates who are willing to step up to the plate and end this war and start conquering the social ills and domestic problems that our country faces. In the final analysis, this could be our finest hour.  This is not the time for fence sitting or flag waving.  A true patriot is one that will stand up for what they believe in, regardless of the consequences. So let us soldier on with courage, with the wind in our sails, with high hopes and whole hearts, and achieve a victory that years later, long after we are gone, generations will look back and say that when America needed to make change, when America needed to take an inventory of itself, when America needed to change course and right some wrongs, that America did it. And some child, somewhere in the future will be inspired by that. And whatever issues face the America of tomorrow, 20 years, 50 years, a hundred years from now, that child can look back at this time and draw from this experience and take up the banner.  But for now, it is time for each of us, in our own way and with our own capabilities, answer the call. It’s time to put aside personal animosity and hurt feelings, and work together for the common good. I will write more later on Senator Clinton, and it will definitely not be a political obituary, that’s for sure. She deserves our thanks and our admiration.