Hotline After Dark -- Not So Sunny Days

Barack Obama sat down with PBS' Ifill for an extended interview that took place in PA. The interview was originally scheduled for last week but had to be rescheduled. In it he previewed this a.m.'s speech:

Obama: "I think it would have been naive for me to think that I could run and end up with quasi-frontrunner status in a presidential election, as potentially the first African-American president, and that issues of race wouldn't come up any more than Senator Clinton could expect that gender issues might not come up. But, ultimately, I don't think it's useful. I think we've got to talk about it, and I think we've got to process it, but we've got to remind ourselves that what we have in common is far more important than what's different and that, if we're going to solve any of these problems, we've got to come together and bridge our differences in ways that we just have not bridged them before."

Ifill: "Is that the speech you'll be giving tomorrow in Philadelphia?"

Obama: "That will be a major focus of it."

Asked if it's been damaging to the campaign, Obama: "I would say that it has been a distraction from the core message of our campaign. I think that part of what has always been the essence of my politics -- not just this campaign, but my life -- is the idea that we've got to bring people together. Now, part of that is biographical, as somebody who comes from a diverse background, with a white mother and an African-American father, growing up in Hawaii and Asia. You know, it's in my DNA to believe that all of us have something fundamental in common, and that's part of what makes America so special" ("NewsHour," PBS, 3/17).

After the cut, Bill Clinton points out Obama advertised in FL before the primary and pundits are all about FL, FL, FL.

(EMILY GOODIN)

THE BILL CLINTON PRESS TOUR CONTINUES

Ex-Pres. Clinton did a taped interview with FNC's Van Susteren in New Orleans:

On FL: "Florida presents a difficult problem for the Democrats because even though Florida moved out of line, the Democrats are totally blameless. ... Everybody was on the ballot, and there was a big turnout, considering there was no campaign. And no one advertised, as that was required, except Senator Obama had a week or 10 days of national cable bytes going into Florida."

Asked if Obama deliberately bought nat'l ads so they would air in FL: "You will have to ask him. ... It's very unusual for a campaign to buy national cable bites, it's the least efficient way to do it. So the only discernible impact was to put it on the television in Florida."

Asked if race is an issue: "I don't think race has been an issue in terms of either candidate's commitment to civil rights, equal rights, human rights, empowering all Americans" ("On the Record," FNC, 3/17).

NOT SO SUNNY DAYS

And what should FL do now that Dems aren't going to hold another primary. Pundits discuss:

CNN's Zarrella: "The bottom line today, the Florida Democratic Party said, look, there will not be a revote in Florida, leaving it in the hands of the Democratic National Committee to try and find a resolution" ("Situation Room," 3/17).

NBC's Todd, on FL Dems not revoting: "They didn't have the cooperation of the state government. ... The Republicans control everything in Florida as far as the state legislature's concern and the governor's office. So unlike the possibilities of a revote in Michigan, where Democrats have some of the power levers, no power levers, no state funding, no cooperation and it was set up to be a fiasco" ("Race to the WH," MSNBC, 3/17).

CNN's Borger, on FL not redoing the primary: "Clearly, the Clinton campaign is very unhappy about this, because they believe that, if there were a redo in Florida, that the demographics of the voters down there would really accrue to their benefit. And they believe that they could win the state of Florida. They also say that they already won the state of Florida" ("AC 360," 3/17).

Washington Post's Robinson, asked if there's a Dem elder who can solve this: "I don't think there is one. Who would it be? Al Gore? I don't think Hillary Clinton going to listen to Al Gore. Howard Dean? Nobody listens to Howard Dean, neither of the candidates. They are going to have to make a deal. There is going to have to be a deal now, at least in terms of Florida. Looks like Michigan there may be a redo" ("Race to the WH," MSNBC, 3/17).