Picture of Desperation

If we've come to the point where Clinton directly attacks Obama over Wright, we know that her campaign is desperate.

Letting others do the attacks while she stays above it was a wise strategy; even though supporters were covering the Internet with not-so-subtle attacks on her behalf, she stayed away from it, and thus wouldn't suffer the blowback from Obama supporters and those sympathetic to his speech.

In fact, that speech is probably the best reason she should have stayed apart. Let's face it: she's not going to match up to him on oratory. She's not as charismatic and not as good a speaker. Her strength is her machine, which is comprised partially of people who are good orators and who are charismatic and are, most importantly, not running for president.

Still, she might have theoretically gained some ground, with the right words. Unfortunately...

It's the first time she or her campaign has commented directly on a controversy that has swirled around rival Sen. Barack Obama's campaign in recent weeks.

"I think given all we have heard and seen, he would not have been my pastor," Clinton said in a news conference in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

The comments came hours after the New York senator made similar comments to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in an editorial board interview.

"You don't choose your family, but you choose what church you want to attend," she told the paper.

Yeah, these aren't the words. If she had delivered it before his speech, it might have got some traction. As it is, she looks like she would have done the very things he called unconscionable and overly political, which is exactly what she didn't need.

With MA/FL out of the picture and Wright now officially mishandled, is there anything at all keeping her campaign going besides sheer bloody-mindedness?