Portraits in courage

The wag once wrote that a conservative is a liberal that has been mugged by reality. So what do you call a liberal that has been mugged by other liberals?

Speaker of the House:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the superdelegates who may ultimately decide the Democratic party’s presidential nominee have a right to vote as they wish, and that the drawn-out contest between candidates Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama should be allowed to reach its conclusion.

“These superdelegates have the right to vote their conscience and who they think would be the better president, or who can win, but they also then should get involved in the campaigns and make their power known there,” Pelosi said in an interview aired Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

This is of course in contrast to her musings last month that it would be bad for her party if the super delegates appeared to overturn the will of the Democratic Party electorate – a thinly veiled hint to the Clinton machine that all of this intramural squabbling was scaring the straights, burning up donor cash and changing nothing: Barring the misfortune of being found in bed with a dead girl or a live boy, Obama’s delegate count mathematically eliminates any chance for a Hillary win without resort to an extra-democratic process.

Then a group of prominent donors growled on behalf of the Clintons that the Speaker ought shaddup, already. If she knew what was good for her. Or else no more money:

On Wednesday a group of Mrs. Clinton’s top donors sent a letter to the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, warning her in language that they no doubt thought subtle but that reflected a kind of incompetent menace, that her statements on the presidential campaign may result in less money for Democratic candidates for the House. Ms. Pelosi had said that in her view the superdelegates should support the presidential candidate who wins the most pledged delegates in state contests. The letter urged her to “clarify” her position, which is “clearly untenable” and “runs counter” to the superdelegates’ right to make “an informed, individual decision” about “who would be the party’s strongest nominee.” The signers, noting their past and huge financial support, suggested that Ms. Pelosi “reflect” on her comments and amend them to reflect “a more open view.”

Which may, or may not have induced the Speaker to re-evaluate her former, more principled position. This raises the specter of the “party of the little guy” delivering up a backroom nomination purchased by fat cats who know better than those poor working stiffs in the voting booths.

You know, you couldn’t make stuff like this up. I can’t wait ’til next week’s episode.