Watching the final weeks of the Democratic Primaries, we are beginning to see a pattern emerge in how superdelegate endorsements are trickling out.  The pattern may just be a pattern, but I sense that there is too much at stake for this pattern to be wholly independent of behind-the-scenes maneuvering.  I would argue that this is a cleverly orchestrated effort to put the best possible face on the contest's results.

If the superdelegate endorsement trickle is orchestrated properly and continues apace, the endorsements will trickle out steadily but only up to a point, upon which the pledged delegates of a given contest puts him over the top.  Question is:  Which contest?

My prediction: Obama wins from the scheduled DRC counting of
the MI/FL delegates, thus empowering these two important states in the nomination process.  Now follow my math after the jump!

Simple question:  
Do you consider yourself a member of the "activist base of the Democratic Party"?.  I mean, we're all here looking to have some voice, to be heard, sometimes to influence others, or sometimes simply to rant.  What's your story?

Can you believe these people?  Look at them, the academic liberal elite journalism community, in all their preening glory.  Look at them complain, as if somehow they hold themselves above the mainstream media institutions that we Americans have so solidly relied on for generations.  Who are they to dictate to us what some liberal elite journalism school brainwashed them into buying their commie ideas about "journalistic responsibility"?   Check out this whiny letter drafted in response to ABC's recent Presidential debate.  I dare you to try to read this without getting sick.

OK, enough snark.  I know it's an unhealthy way to process my anger, but when temptation strikes...  

OK, OK, now onto the substance:

If I can name one journalist who comes closest to my ideal of the "heroic", it would have to be Bill Moyers.  He has been a steadfast soldier in pushing back against the MSM's war on progressive politics, and he has been active for generations.
I met him on an airplane flight to Omaha one summer, and he was casually traveling with a small band of grandchildren in tow.  The man is the real deal.

I am going to post a comment Bill made back in 2/03 about wearing a flag pin on his lapel.  I thought it apropos of a certain hot topic here at the MyDD.  It's short but sweet.  Check it out:

Answer:
They represent the touchstones of divisive politics.
But that is not saying enough.
They also happen to represent the three hottest hot button topics pushed by the Republican Party political brain trust (read: Rove) to win the White House and GOTV in the last two general elections.

As we all know now, as of today, Mark Penn has been relieved of his duties as Chief Advisor to the Clinton campaign.  In fact, many sources have reported that Hillary Clinton was angered when she "learned" about Penn's meeting with Colombian officials to broker a free-trade deal.  But for all that has been reported, there is one interesting aspect of this controversy that has been overlooked:  Penn's lobbying firm, Burson-Marsteller, has been working under contract with Colombia for almost ONE YEAR.  

From the International Herald-Tribune (5/24/07):

"The Colombian government is trying to counter its negative image among Washington Democrats and secure congressional passage of a free trade agreement signed by Uribe and the Bush administration last year, a deal Uribe considers his biggest foreign policy achievement.

Colombia agreed this month to pay US$300,000 (€223,000) to public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to help "educate members of the U.S. Congress and other audiences" about the trade deal and secure continued funding for Plan Colombia, the U.S.-backed counter-narcotics program that has cost American taxpayers more than US$5 billion (€3.72 billion) since 2000."

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/2 5/america/LA-GEN-Colombia-Clinton.php

That was LAST YEAR.  WHY NOW, all of a sudden?  

Consider this diary a placeholder for my ongoing tally of delegates gained starting March 1st.  See original diary (updated) here:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/3/8/20235 1/9859

I've used March 1st as a starting date, as many pundits have noted that there may have been a change in momentum since then.  This tally will attempt to document that "momentum".

Today I have updated my delegate count for the month of March and, as it stands, Obama has outgained Clinton by a total of 31 delegates and superdelegates so far. Recent updates over the last couple days include the Iowa caucus delegate selections, an added net gain of 10 over Clinton, and a superdelegate for Obama from WI.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/0 3/obama_expands_delegate_lead_ov.php

Again, a good source for tracking superdelegates can be found here:
http://demconwatch.blogspot.com/

Now that the campaigns are touching down in the keystone state, how do you think they are being received?