Number one rule in politics and life -- when you're in a hole, quit digging.
This weekend, on Meet the Press, Governor Ed Rendell, a Hillary supporter I twice worked for, got caught in a logical quandary. If Barack Obama is so inexperienced as to not even be qualified to be Commander-in-Chief, how can Hillary Clinton keep saying she'll consider him as a VP -- one heartbeat away from being Commander-in-Chief? Rendell, eventually, was forced to say that he thought Obama was qualified to be Commander-in-Chief, right now. But what about Clinton's campaign -- do they agree?
Credit to the mainstream media, for once, for following through on a pretty honest line of questioning. What IS the deal here? Is Obama qualified or not?
On a media conference call, Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson had a readied answer that, well, just opens up a slew of new questions. According to Talking Points Memo, Wolfson said Obama as VP is not something Clinton is, "prepared to rule out at this point... At the same time we continued to believe that Senator Obama has not passed the key commander-in-chief test at least at this point... Senator Clinton will not choose any candidate who has not at the time of choosing passed the national security threshold."
WTF is that? I mean, besides classic hedging when caught in an illogical argument?
There's a key test that's going to be administered between now and Denver in August that Obama has to pass? Where is that test, and where can I take it? Do I need a number two pencil for this test, or is it an essay exam? Maybe is it a virtual reality computer simulation? Maybe Obama will see a phone ringing at 3am, and if he can pick it up, he passed the test?
No, seriously, honest to God, what is going to happen in the next few months that will serve as a "key Commander-in-Chief test" -- for either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Is President Bush going to invite them into the situation room, and let them take it for a test spin? Is he going to transfer the next call from Medvedev to them, to see if they can handle it?
Wolfson is a smart dude and incredibly able, but this answer is trying to be too smart by half. Because, now the question isn't only why Hillary Clinton doesn't just "not rule out" Obama as VP, but actively promotes the idea. Now, they have to also answer what that "key commander-in-chief test" is, exactly, how Obama can take it, and at what point, specifically, did Hillary Clinton take it and pass it with flying colors?