Hillary's Self-serving "Suspension" Speech

Ending Her Bid, Clinton Backs Obama
By ADAM NAGOURNEY and MARK LEIBOVICH

WASHINGTON — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton brought her campaign for the White House to an end on Saturday with a rousing farewell to thousands of supporters here and an emotional and unequivocal call for her voters to get behind Senator Barack Obama, the man who defeated her for the Democratic nomination.

For 28 minutes, standing alone on a stage in the historic National Building Museum, Mrs. Clinton spoke not only about the importance of electing Mr. Obama, but also about the extent to which her campaign was a milestone for women. She urged women who had supported her — who had turned out at her headquarters, flocked to her rallies and poured into the polls to vote for her — not to take the wrong lesson from her loss.

“You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the president of the United States,” she said. “To those who are disappointed that we couldn’t go all of the way, especially the young people who put so much into this campaign, it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours.”

Remember when Hillary announced she was seeking the liberal Democratic Party nomination by saying, "I'm in it to win it?" Well, she lost. Badly.

Hillary's arrogance, self-importance and sense of entitlement remained intact during today's suspension speech. It was certainly not a "concession" speech. She didn't mention Barack Obama's name until seven minutes into it.

I heard most of her speech late this morning. It had been scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m. our time. Public Radio started broadcasting a few minutes before Hillary was to take the podium at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, when the announcer said she had not even left her palacial digs in the nation's capital. About twenty minutes past the hour, the announcer said her "motorcade" had not left Hillary's house. (Motorcade? Whatever happened to global warming? Has Hillary purchased carbon credits from Al Gore?). It was political theater at its worst. Remember when Bill Clinton took his sweet time to leave the White House in 2001? The rabble can wait.

Hillary had no choice but to endorse Barack Obama's nomination bid unequivocally and enthusiastically. There were several boos when she did, however. A sure sign that not all her supporters will heed her call for unity.

Hillary is a political animal. No, she is feral. Her every instinct has been focused on becoming President of the United States. Not the first female President of the United States, mind you. For all the talk about glass ceilings, breaking barriers, unprecedented campaigns and cultural milestones, Hillary played the gender card when it suited her - remember her crocodile tears in New Hampshire? - much the same way Barack Obama either transcends race or embraces it depending on which approach benefits him the most at the moment.

When character is absent, convenience trumps consistency.