Even though Senator Ted Kennedy said he was going to remain neutral, it made sense that he would fall squarely on the side of Team Obama. For one: It would be full-circle -- cue, dramatically: Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" -- with the Kennedy clan and the American (And South African) civil rights movement that they historically had so much to do with. Two: All the major figures in Massachusetts politics had endorsed Obama (Governor Deval Patrick and junior Senator John Kerry). And, three: After Kennedy and Rahm Emmanuel tore Clinton a new ass about his filthy behavior regarding Obama and how it might cleft the historical African-American/Democratic party alliance in twain, he still went out and compared Obama's historic South Carolina victory with Jesse Jackson's boutique runs.

But what about Oscar-worthy Nobel laureate Al Gore, who also has said publicly he would not get involved in the endorsement pimp game. Clearly, he doesn't fancy the Clintons style (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). Privately, in the smoke filled back rooms on Embassy Row, it is said Gore -- an old school Washingtonian aristocrat of the Sally Quinn school -- blamed Bill's louche Lewinsky affair with fucking up his chances at The White House. So -- would Gore publicly stand by the heir to the Howard Dean mantle (only with more charisma and innate political skill), against Hillary. The Atlantic seems to think so:

"Yes, yes, I know. Gore has said he won’t endorse. He’s happily retired from politics now, a senior statesman, a big-shot investor. He’s won an Oscar and a Nobel. The cause he crusaded for has become central to the public conversation in a way even he could never have imagined.

"All of these are good reasons to stay out of the fray. But they’re equally good reasons to jump into it. What would be the risk? There’s no chance that his endorsement would be followed by an embarrassing Dean-like collapse; Obama has already notched wins. Climate change won’t suddenly disappear from the agenda if he loses. And nobody’s going to take away the golden statuette.

"On the other hand, Obama is now close enough to a big win that Gore’s endorsement could easily put him over the top."