Robert Novak: "Support is growing in Democratic ranks for Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland as vice president. He would bring to the ticket maturity (he's 66), experience (six terms in Congress) and moderation (rated ''A'' by the National Rifle Association). He is very popular in Ohio, a state Republicans must carry to elect a president."Another important factor: As a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Strickland could help unite the Democratic party.

"You're going to see people (superdelegates) making decisions at a rapid pace from this point on. We've been announcing several each day for the last few days. We're going to continue to unfurl these endorsements on a regular basis."-- Strategist David Axelrod, quoted by the Washington Post, as Sen. Barack Obama has now surpassed Sen. Hillary Clinton in superdelegate support.

Here's another interesting book out later this month: The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and 82 Days That Inspired America by Thurston Clarke. From the book jacket: "After John F. Kennedy's assassination, Robert Kennedy--formerly Jack's no-holds-barred political warrior--almost lost hope. He was haunted by his brother's murder, and by the nation's seeming inabilities to solve its problems of race, poverty, and the war in Vietnam. Bobby sensed the country's pain, and when he announced that he was running for president, the country united behind his hopes. Over the action-packed eighty-two days of his campaign, Americans were inspired by Kennedy's promise to lead them toward a better time. And after an assassin's bullet stopped this last great stirring public figure of the 1960s, crowds lined up along the country's railroad tracks to say goodbye to Bobby."

The New York Times has a must-read preview of the fall campaign.Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama "are already drawing up strategies for taking each other on in the general election, focusing on the same groups -- including independent voters and Latinos -- and about a dozen states where they think the contest is likely to be decided this fall."In short, McCain will try to paint Obama as inexperienced, liberal and out-of-touch with the mainstream. Obama will try to link McCain as the prime heir to President Bush and highlight his opposition to abortion rights. Interesting: "The two sides said Saturday that they would be open to holding joint forums or unmoderated debates across the country in front of voters through the summer."

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) called the New York Times to criticize Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) "for remarks he made when asked about the possibility of" Sen. Barack Obama choosing Sen. Hillary Clinton as his running-mate.Saud Enanuel: "I have a lot of respect for Ted Kennedy, but I don't know how the hell he comes off saying that. The gratuitous attack on her is uncalled for and wrong. He is a better senator than that comment reveals."

Sen. Barack Obama's race "and inflammatory racial remarks made by his former preacher negatively affect how likely voters view the candidate," according to a new Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll. "More than one in five likely Democratic voters surveyed said being black hurts Obama's chances of winning an election in Kentucky, compared to 4 percent who said Obama's race helps him.""Although more than half of respondents said his race isn't a factor in the election, many of those surveyed also said racially charged remarks by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright will play an important role as they decide whom to support in the May 20 primary."

Several top New York Republicans tell WNBC-TV that Rep. Vito Fossella's (R-NY) resignation will come very soon. "There was political concern about how best to preserve the seat for the Republicans -- questions about immediate resignation versus finishing out his term and retiring -- but the calculation is there's nothing to be gained from Fossella sticking around. While Staten Island Republicans believe Fossella could at least serve out his term (the rest of the year) national Republicans want him gone. Now." No real surprise here: CQ Politics changes the rating on Fossella's NY-13 seat from Safe Republican to No Clear Favorite.

Sen. Barack Obama said that "he would not rule out the possibility" of helping Sen. Hillary Clinton "retire her campaign debt to bring her into the fold and unify Democrats. But he said no discussions have taken place yet," the New York Times reports.Said Obama: "Obviously, I'd want to have a broad-ranging discussion with Senator Clinton about how I could make her feel good about the process and have her on the team moving forward."Political Insider: What does Hillary want?

With Sen. Barack Obama now leading in the support of both pledged delegates and superdelegates -- adding at least seven more supers to his tally today -- ABC News reports that Bill Clinton is making the case that Sen. Hillary Clinton can still win the popular vote if she gets 80% support in West Virginia next week.Unfortunately, "many in the crowd seemed to lose interest as he began his speech -- even during his appeal for a high voter turnout."

In an interview to be televised later tonight on Bloomberg TV, Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) said Sen. Barack Obama isn't likely to pick Sen. Hillary Clinton as a running mate.Said Kennedy: "I don't think it's possible."He said Obama should choose a running mate who "is in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people."

"Well, I don't think that carries any more weight than anyone who will argue that the fact that she only got 8 percent of the African-American vote in North Carolina indicates that she cannot get African-American votes in the general election."-- Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), in an interview with the National Journal, on Sen. Hillary Clinton's contention that Sen. Barack Obama cannot win over white voters.

At a New Yorker conference this morning, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) -- who has been hiding under his desk during the Democratic presidential race -- acknowledged for the first time that Sen. Barack Obama is the "presumptive nominee" of his party.When moderator Ryan Lizza pointed out that there are only 217 undecided super delegates left, Emanuel laughed and said "it's an exclusive club."

CQ Politics takes "a quick look" at the next six primaries and notes Sen. Hillary Clinton "appears to have the edge in two states and in Puerto Rico -- provided she continues to stay in the race -- and Sen. Barack Obama seems to have an advantage in three states."Over at Political Insider, I also handicapped the remaining races.

A new American Research Group poll in West Virginia finds Sen. Hillary Clinton way ahead of Sen. Barack Obama, 66% to 23%.Key findings: Clinton leads among men, 57% to 27%, and she leads among women, 72% to 20%. Clinton leads among white voters, 70% to 19%, and Obama leads among African American voters, 91% to 3%. African Americans voters, however, only account for 5% of likely Democratic primary voters in the state.It's also interesting that "someone else" received 5% of the vote on the ballot question. John Edwards is still on the ballot in West Virginia, but his name was not mentioned in the survey.

As Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) contemplates his political future after admitting he fathered a child from an extramarital affair, a new SurveyUSA poll finds 61% of adults from his NY-13 district say he should remain in office, while 32% say he should resign.

In his long-awaited memoirs, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History, former JFK aide Ted Sorensen admits he "collaborated" on Profiles in Courage with then Sen. John F. Kennedy. According to a Wall Street Journal review, Sorensen says, for the first time, that he "did a first draft of most chapters," "helped choose the words of many of its sentences" and likely "privately boasted or indirectly hinted that I had written much of the book." Sorensen also admits that in 1957 -- just after the book won a Pulitizer Prize -- that Kennedy "unexpectedly and generously offered, and I happily accepted, a sum" for Sorensen's work on the book. The overall review of Sorensen's book is glowing: "The heroic effort it required to complete this volume in the wake of his stroke, and to do so in a style that remains masterly, is itself an inspiration. Even when he is describing 40 years of post-White House law practice, there is hardly a page that does not confirm our sense of Mr. Sorensen as a writer of the first rank. If his active service to Kennedy is now concluded, we are still left with the inescapable sense that the words that the two men crafted together -- however one divides the credit -- will live on."

"I won't accept a cabinet post regardless of which of the three candidates wins the presidency."-- Al Gore, quoted by the Bloomberg.

The Economist: "In cartoons there is often a moment when a hapless character, having galloped over a cliff, is still unaware of the fact and hangs suspended in the air, legs pumping wildly, until realisation dawns, gravity intervenes and downfall ensues. Hillary Clinton's campaign looks a bit like that this week. After her heavy loss in North Carolina and her barely perceptible victory in Indiana, a state she needed to carry triumphantly, Mrs Clinton's campaign is surely close to its end."Special offer for Political Wire readers: Get a free trial subscription to The Economist.

According to The Politico, Sen. Hillary Clinton is asking some uncommitted superdelegates "if they could commit to her privately -- without the political risks of a public endorsement -- so that she could gauge whether she has the support she feels she needs to remain a viable candidate."

Sen. Barack Obama "already has begun pivoting toward the general election," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Soon, he is likely to unleash attack ads aimed at defining Sen. John McCain. With vastly more money, Sen. Obama will be able to flood the airwaves as voters are forming impressions."Goal #1: Link McCain to President Bush as closely as possible."The comparison to President Bush is one of many reasons why Sen. McCain has walked a careful line as he defines himself. He helped shore up a Republican base with a string of conservative policy positions on the economy, Iraq, health care and judges. Though he has courted a maverick image of moderation, he has made clear that his policy agenda will contour to conservative thought."