George Will is one of my favorite conservative political writers.  I disagree with his conclusions more often than not, but he is an excellent writer.  Here is his latest column regarding the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-oped0509willmay09,0,1591410.story

I suppose that the time has come when those of us who support Senator Obama's candidacy should feel secure that his nomination is almost secured, and that Senator Clinton should be treated with courtesy and respect, in order to make it easier to attract her supporters to vote for Obama in the general election against Senator McCain. 

Intellectually, I know this is true, but because Senator Clinton continues to press her case that she deserves the nomination, she is delaying (if not permanently impairing) her return to a respectable public image.  I do not mind her making the case that she would be more electable than Obama.  I do not agree with her claim, but a plausible case can be made, and the claim is not objectively true or false.  Other than that, her arguments have rested on her constantly changing the rules while the game is in progress.  She agreed with the penalties to the Florida and Michigan delegations, until it became convenient to argue that they were treated unfairly.  Many states have caucuses, rather than primaries, and she arrogantly believed that the caucus states were unimportant.  Now that the only possible basis for super delegates choosing her over Obama is the aggregate popular vote in the primaries, she is in effect arguing that Michigan and Florida (which violated the party rules, and where Clinton was the only contender on the ballot in the case of Michigan) should count, but that the caucus states (which violated no rules) should not. 

On behalf of Barack Obama's best interest, I want Senator Clinton treated with respect.  However, as long as she carries on in her present manner, she is hardly earning that respect.