I admire Donna Brazile, perhaps more than any member of the DNC, and if you have a chance, everyone should read her regular columns cross-posted at Brazile & Associates. Though she initially argued (in February) that Superdelegates should wait "a little longer" to make their support public (because of the benefits of an extended campaign) she has written several recent (and much more critical) columns stating that it's time for the Democratic Party to come together, and blamed undeclared superdelegates for the continued divide in the party:
Experience tells me that if Obama is the party's nominee, the remaining superdelegates will bear as much responsibility as the Republicans (if Democrats lose in November)... Allowing this pitched battle to continue unabated might become a big roll of the dice for the Democratic Party.
Her recent columnis not as gentle on the Clinton campaign and their threat to continue beyond June 3rd...
What would Democrats gain by taking this debate any further ... What can be won by tainting the process, arguing the rules are now unfair ...? All this fuss is simply about saving face and waiting to see whether some awful thing tarnishes the presumptive nominee. It's shameful, short-sighted, mean-spirited and morally unacceptable. Now, I said it.
Wow. "Shameful, short-sighted, mean-spirited and morally unacceptable".
This is the strongest criticism I've heard from any member of the DNC, much less an undeclared superdelegate, much less a woman that is also a political commentator on CNN and frequent columnist. The Clinton campaign can't exactly roll-out the sexism claim on Ms. Brazile, can they now?
More from Ms. Brazile:
There are some media reports suggesting that Clinton is now willing to extend the primary fight beyond the last set of primaries. That's just awful. No matter on which side of the fence Democratic primary voters have decided to stand, a convention battle is not in the party's best interests.
Of course, in her column, she also strikes a conciliatory tone, and takes the time to explain her admiration for Senator Clinton, her tenaciousness, intelligence, and what she's done to create "cracks" in the glass-ceiling that has prevented a woman from seriously being considered a candidate for President in the past. She also asks her friends in the feminist community to stop using divisive language, and instead using this opportunity "to help educate the American public about the corrosive impact of sexism in politics and elsewhere".
However, Ms. Brazile leaves no doubt who the remaining superdelegates should get behind, when they should do it, and how they should decide"
...I never counted her out, but after June 3, I will count the delegates to see who is ahead and by how much.
In her May 13th column, she closes:
I know something about losing. I know something about winning as well. Being a good winner is easy; it's being a good loser that's tough.
It her recent column, she closes with another call to start uniting the Party:
Come dawn on the fourth day of June, it will be high time to lay down arms, leaving hands free to pick up the olive branch and unite before going into battle.
If the undeclared Superdelegates wait any longer to fess up, I think we'll see a much larger revolt directed at them to "Stand Up", as Pelosi did today, Arianna Huffington did last week, and as John Aravosis at Americablog has been doing for the last few weeks.