Top Dems to Superdelegates: Decide Already!

Democratic congressional leaders reportedly want uncommitted superdelegates to make up their minds by July 1.

The New York Post reports:

Democratic Party bigwigs are preparing to push superdelegates to get off the fence once state primary elections end in June, officials said yesterday.

The leaders, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, might pen a joint letter to the party insiders.

The letter would send a clear message to about 300 insiders who have stayed on the sidelines while Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama have mounted increasingly harsh attacks on each other.

NBC's Tim Russert observed:

The Democrats are very, very nervous. They realize this back and forth between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is taking its toll. John McCain is either tied or beating them in national polls, even though when you ask the generic question, "Who do you prefer this fall, the Democrat or the Republican?" the Democrat wins easily. But when you match them head to head, it's a tie race.

So, Howard Dean is now going to ask people, after the primaries are over, to make a decision – step forward and say, "This is who I, as an undecided superdelegate, have decided to support," hopeful that he can then get a presumptive nominee by early June, start healing the party in July and August, and start Labor Day with a united front.

It's going to be a very difficult challenge.

Ya think?