Hillary Grandstands and Delivers

Her abysmal intro and outro music notwithstanding, Hillary Clinton handled the awkward situation of endorsing Barack Obama and calling for party unity with aplomb in Denver last night (Maureen Dowd notwithstanding also). Such is the art of fine-tuning peppy catchphrases and the unwavering conviction that you will be vindicated in the end. But in watching her husband Bill nibble at the bit as he looked on lovingly, it was easy to be hopeful that the true fireworks will come later tonight. Tuesday, MSNBC's Chuck Todd reported that not only was Bill Clinton's team embargoing the contents of the speech he will deliver this evening from the nominee's staff, but also that the former president had enlisted the writing help of strategist Mark Penn, a name as anathema to the Obama campaign as, say, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Coupled with the small matter of Bill's reported Obama boycott, and it looks like Hillary's efforts are about to be outshined once again.