Everyone is buzzing about the statement today from DNC chairman Howard Dean who said on CBS’ “The Early Show” that he wants superdelegates to make a decision on the Democratic nomination by July 1.

Harry Smith asked if after the nominating contests end with the South Dakota and Montana primaries on June 3, “Do you want the superdelegates to have some sort of vote immediately so that you’ll know months in advance of the convention what the outcome is?”

Dean replied: “Well, I think the superdelegates have already been weighing in. I think that there’s 800 of them and 450 of them have already said who they’re for. I’d like the other 350 to say who they’re at some point between now and the first of July so we don’t have to take this into the convention.”

Remember, with Democrats, it’s not what they say that counts. It’s what they intend to say that matters. Shortly after Dr. Dean appeared on TV, an aide came forward with a “clarification”.

An aide explains that July 1 is not a drop-dead deadline: “The point is before the convention, ideally in June.”

Don’t believe any of this. Before the day is out, I expect a statement from the Clinton campaign clarifying even further that Chairman Howard Dean knows not of what he speaks. He’ll be discredited lickety-split. Clinton, as we heard yesterday, has no intention of quitting before the convention. My guess is someone told Dean he had to start taking a leadership role in this whole thing, and he decided to arbitrarily throw out the July 1 pseudo-deadline.

It ain’t gonna happen.

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2008 Election, DNC, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean