Treachery? From the Clintons? Too Juicy to Be True...

Update 16:40: Mr. Epp gets a better Twitter and notes at 15:29 this afternoon that the Clinton proposal came before the primary. Thus, as suspected, no great treachery, just some fun backroom maneuvering... and still an interesting last-ditch attempt by the Clinton campaign to use money and superdelegates to snatch victory from the jaws of Obama-mania. I hope Senator Clinton will still come to our state this fall to help campaign against Initiated Measure 11.

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Mr. Epp posts an intriguing note from the state Democratic convention in Chamberlain about an offer from the Clinton camp to hold a fundraiser here in South Dakota to help out our state Democratic Party. All they wanted in return was two superdelegates.

The story from Mr. Epp remains unclear. Was this quid pro quo offered before the South Dakota primary or after? Did it precede her endorsement of Obama the Saturday after the primary? Was the deal for the two superdelegates Clinton has or two more?

Ms. Ross wonders if there might be treachery unfolding even as Senator Clinton appears in Unity (NH) with Senator Obama today. The story sounds all too juicy to be true.

And so what: two measly superdelegates? What good could they do?

The conspiratorial side of me can't resist checking the numbers: Clinton has 1896.5 delegates, 222 short of the 2118 needed to win the nomination (Obama has 2229.5). Two more superdelegates out of South Dakota's seven... hmm... were she to find a way to flip the same proportion of party elites in every state... 823 superdelegates total, multiply by 2/7... 235 superdelegates.

As I said, too juicy to be true. We look forward to Mr. Epp's further on-the-ground reporting from the convention to give us the full picture on this little summer surprise.