More superdelegate news...and Clinton scrambling campaign team

The daily news regarding the superdelegates is almost like watching a slow moving soap opera, except the theme is still the same: Clinton remains static, Obama gains another. Yesterday Margaret Campbell had to retract an official endorsement because of party rules that disallows her to publicly endorse a contested primary, (although her intent still stands), while another Montana superdelegate, Jeanne Lemire Dahlman, (DNC-MT) a national committeewoman where now Obama now has the support of three of Montana's eight superdelegates. Also Clinton gained and lost a superdelegate where she received another endorsement from Arkansas, Mark Wilcox (DNC-AR) but then lost an endorsement where Harry Thomas Jr (DNC-DC) publicly withdrew his support.

So the hard count still remains Clinton 245 to Obama's 221, but the soft count also increases for Obama to 235* (Pres. Carter, Margaret Campbell, Mike Panetta, 8 NCarolinians, Gov Corzine, Sen. Cartwell & Sen. Harkin). What must be disconcerting for Clinton is that her hard count lead of 24 is made up by 10 Arkansas super's and 40 New Yorker's minus Illinois's 25 for Obama equaling 25 net for Clinton. This means that Obama is a net plus one outside the "favorite son/daughter" base states. Only Raul Emanuel (D-IL) and Majority Whip who was a chief Clinton White House Aide remains neutral in IL and Marianne Spraggins (DNC-NY) are outliers for the respective state delegations. HMMMMMMMMMM...........

The polls are tightening in Pennsylvania as a new Quinnipiac University Poll states that Obama has pulled within 6 points of Clinton (2.7 point margin of error) and basically reducing the double point lead in their eyes. This is in context of Obama pulling to a double digit lead in the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll over the weekend where he has a 52% national approval to Clintons' falling 42%.

The Clinton campaign made a refurbishment on the fly while they faced big challenges on two rising fronts: Contain anymore fallouts from their union members and other blue-collar traditional voters who are now absolutely essential for her continuing, and also seeking to persuade key supporters and donors that Mark Penn’s removal will bring new energy into the campaign. This is what is called window dressing and putting lipstick on a dying pig! The New York Times sums it up with Clinton Campaign Regroups.

WASHINGTON — With a fresh strategy team in place, the presidential campaign of Senator Clinton sought Monday to reassure supporters, contributors and Democratic delegates that her candidacy would withstand and be rejuvenated by the second leadership shakeup in two months.

Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster, and Howard Wolfson, a longtime adviser to Mrs. Clinton, formally began their duties coordinating the campaign’s strategic message, replacing her chief strategist, Mark Penn. They worked feverishly — behind the scenes and through public channels — to convey that Mrs. Clinton’s efforts to win her party’s presidential nomination had not let up despite turmoil surrounding Mr. Penn’s departure.

Mr. Penn, a leading adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton since 1996, relinquished his role as chief campaign strategist on Sunday after apologizing for holding talks with officials from the Colombian government about a bilateral trade treaty with the United States that Mrs. Clinton opposes. He met with the Colombians in his role as chief executive of Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm. Mr. Penn’s departure followed months of infighting between him and other Clinton aides.

Gerry McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, widely viewed as the union that has campaigned most aggressive for Mrs. Clinton, said he telephoned her on Saturday to urge her to fire Mr. Penn.

“I expressed the fact that all of us in the AFL-CIO were unhappy with Penn because he has many corporate clients and conflicts,” Mr. McEntee said in an interview. “And for him to go forward, when Senator Clinton is opposed to the Colombia trade deal, to put together a program to see that trade deal through, that’s not acceptable.”