On tonight's PBS News Hour interview being broadcast Wednesday Nancy Pelosi tells Judy Woodruff what she thinks of the state of the race. The main soundbite is her pushback on Clinton's popular vote argument as well as emphatic rejection of an Obama-Clinton ticket.
On the end:
"I would like to see this process work itself out until June. We only have..what three more primary dates left and when that happens we will have a nominee."
On Clinton pushing the popular vote meme:
"How our delegates are selected is by a process and the person who has the most delegates becomes the nominee of the party. It's not been about the popular vote....at the end of the day someone will have the winning number of delegates. Delegate vote is the currency of the realm at the Democratic National Convention."
On Florida and Michigan:
"I believe that Michigan and Florida will be seated.
It will be done in a way that will be signed off on by both of the candidates Senator Clinton and Senator Obama, and by each of the states Florida and Michigan and also by the DNC of course."
On women and Clinton:
"Many women in America are very excited about the prospect of a woman president. Senator Clinton has been a magnificent candidate....also though if she doesn't get the nomination it doesnt mean that there isn't another alternative that women will respond to. And i think that the message of Barack Obama should he be the nominee is one that will have an appeal to the women of America....I don't think it's a setback at all for women should she not win.
On a joint ticket, she really mangled it but obviously her sentiments are clear:
"I don't think that would be the ticket that would win for us.... Let me say it another way, I don't think that is the ticket that is going to happen. If it is the ticket that happens it will be the winning ticket. But I don't see it happening."
I get the sense that Nancy Pelosi is trying really hard to appear even-handed. But her heart is with Senator Obama.