Political aside: the state of the presidential nomination race

Yes, even as we prepare for Pope Benedict XVI's visit, we should keep in mind that there's a race happening.

The news de jour for the Clinton campaign is that her top strategist, Mark Penn, has quit "amid criticism of his public relations firm's contacts with the Colombian." MM for more commentary.

Sure, I'm sure the Colombian government ties are the cause of his departure, but at the same time, if you're a savvy rat, it's nice to have an alibi for why you're jumping off the sinking ship. I'm not saying he's a rat.

AP: "It was the second major departure of a Clinton campaign official this year. In February, Patti Solis Doyle stepped down as campaign manager and was replaced by Williams...Penn's consulting firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland, has been paid $10.8 million so far by Clinton's campaign."

This WaPo Politics blog intimates that Penn "was a major influence in Clinton's decision to focus on her toughness and readiness to be commander in chief during the campaign [and the 3AM ad as well]."

Meanwhile, in the wider picture, Obama has a double-digit lead in North Carolina, has narrowed the gap between him and Hillary in mutch-watched Pennsylvania, and now leads Clinton 50%-42% nationally.

Interestingly, Obama also leads McCain 46%-42% in a hypothetical Iowa matchup. McCain is far ahead of Hillary.

Here's something: Dan Senor at ABC News makes the case that Condoleezza Rice is actively pursuing the republican VP spot. LifeSiteNews did a report on her abortion position in 2005, where she described herself as "mildly pro-choice." See her respond to the question on 60 Minutes here:



And that's the state of the presidential nomination race.

If I missed someting important or noteworthy, tell me below!