an open letter to the people of Pennsylvania

Please don't take my senator away from me.

Hillary Clinton has been the finest junior senator from the State of New York since I became a resident here in 1990. She is smart, tireless and fully committed to the issues and concerns of her constituents.

As a senator, she is able to exercise her strongest skills in the service of the Democratic Party. She has been invaluable in the overwhelmingly difficult battle of beating back the radical, neo-conservative, corporatist agenda. We as a party and a people are losing this battle, of course, but Senator Clinton and others have honorably worked, in their capacities, to halt or delay some of the most egregious assaults on our Constitution and standing in the world.

She would make a fine President. She is already a fine Senator. Of the two candidates remaining, she is the stronger Senator. I believe that for the health of the party and the success of the salvage operation that will be necessary for the next eight years, President Obama and Senator Clinton make a better team than President Clinton and Senator Obama.

Many registered Democrats are concerned with Obama's electability.

Polls shift (although he is currently polling better than her in national polls against McCain, I think), but the truth is that he his highly electable.

Our nation, though still sadly suffering from the cancer of racism, is not as racist as it was 20-30 years ago, thank God. And it is exactly the voters that the Obama campaign is bringing into the process that suffer least from the disease. The young voter is excited and energized by Obama's youth, not his color. He sounds more like this young voter than anyone out there. And that's why he can win in the fall.

A Clinton/McCain election will feel and play like the Great Culture War Part Six, like the last Star Wars movie. We'll see the same arguments, distortions and storylines from both sides. And remember, the Republicans are a lot better at fighting and winning that battle. Even with their nominee lashed to Bush's completely failed and foolish and destructive domestic and foreign policies, it will be a very close election.

I think she'll win it and I'll do everything I can to help her win it, but if we run Obama, we've changed the storyline.

Old vs. New

Cranky vs. Charisma

Grandpa vs. Cool Older Brother

Are you kidding? We can win that one.

But finally, on a personal level, don't take my Senator away. We need her here in New York.

That's it. Nancy and I love the Poconos and I can't get enough of those cheesesteaks.

And I hear York is a pretty cool town.

Get out there tomorrow, vote early, vote often.