CLINTON WANTS PARTY BOSSES TO MAKE OBAMA STAND DOWN

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TELEGRAPH, UK - Hillary Clinton's most senior advisers are in a state of
"panic" about her presidential prospects and are plotting to enlist
Democrat leaders in Congress to thwart her rival Barack Obama's
ambitions. The Clinton camp is braced for Mr Obama to win a series of
primary elections over the next three weeks, which they fear could hand
the Illinois senator unstoppable momentum in the race for the White
House.

The Clinton camp hopes to stop the Obama bandwagon by winning Texas and
Ohio primaries on March 4, after which Mrs Clinton is planning to call
on party grandees including Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of
Representatives and Harry Reid, the party's leader in the Senate, to
persuade Mr Obama to stand down. Clinton aides have privately admitted
that Mr Obama would only consider such a move if offered the position of
vice presidential running mate, something Mrs Clinton has always been
reluctant to consider.

A senior Democrat who has discussed Clinton campaign thinking with a
member of her inner circle said: "The Clintons are in a state of panic.
She has to win both Texas and Ohio.". . .

Clinton aides believe that if Mr Obama does not deliver a knock-out blow
before March 4, the advantage will swing back to her and she will argue
for a deal in which uncommitted super-delegates unite behind her, to
preserve party unity.  

But the prospect of a deal behind closed doors, that could brush aside
the views of voters in the primaries, is already creating fury in the
party.

Donna Brazile, an African American strategist, said last week: "If 795
of my colleagues decide this election, I will quit the Democratic
Party."

But the Clinton camp fears that a failure to engineer a deal could lead
to bitter battles at the Democrat convention in Denver in late August,
which could even end with Al Gore, the former vice president, emerging
as a compromise candidate.

"There's a five per cent chance of that happening, but that's five
percent too high," the Clinton source said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/09/wus509.xml


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