Beyond the Dome

The rank-and-file congressional superdelegates may be getting nervous, but both of the top Democratic leaders are cutting Hillary Rodham Clinton more slack, saying they’re fine with letting the race for their party’s presidential nomination continue through the end of the primaries.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada told reporters this afternoon that the race should continue until the final primaries in Montana and South Dakota June 3, but that the superdelegates should commit to either Clinton or Barack Obama within a few days after they’re over.

“Shortly after June 3, within a few days, Clinton’s going to have to make her case to those who are uncommitted at the time, and Obama will have to make his case,” Reid said. “I think the superdelegates should make their decision shortly thereafter.”

And at a press conference on gas prices this afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California declared the race for the Democratic nomination “alive and well” and said it should continue as long as there are two candidates in the race.

“A win is a win. Let's just call it what it is,” Pelosi said. “I believe that the races must continue. The people should all have the opportunity to speak as long as two candidates wish to compete in those primaries and caucuses and that in a few weeks we will be on our way to nominating the next president of the United States.”

It may be that both Reid and Pelosi had to say that, since the two top Democratic leaders need to appear as neutral and above-the-fray as possible. But it’s good news for Clinton that neither of them dodged the questions – or answered them in such a lukewarm way, as other superdelegates have today, that they seemed to be trying to send her a message.

They didn’t exactly rally to her defense either, though. When asked whether Clinton has a realistic chance of overtaking Obama’s delegate lead and winning the nomination, Reid said, “That’s not for me to judge.”