What was it I was saying earlier about her phony “lift every voice” enfranchisement rhetoric? Oh well. Nothing says unity and catharsis like a vote that has to be suspended halfway through lest the margin of victory not turn out the way The One has foreordained. Chicago politics fever — catch it!

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are working on a deal to give her some votes in the roll call for the Democratic presidential nomination, but quickly end the divided balloting in unanimous consent for Obama.

Democratic officials involved in the negotiations said Monday the idea is that at the start of the state-by-state vote for the presidential nomination Wednesday night, delegates would cast their votes for Clinton or Obama.

But the voting would be cut off after a couple of states, the officials said, perhaps ending with New York, when Clinton herself would call for unanimous backing for Obama from the convention floor. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity while the deal was being finalized.

This is Hillary’s dream come true, isn’t it? She gets to play the good soldier, ostensibly, even while her fanatic supporters strike fear in the hearts of Team Barry. But then, how good a soldier are you if you’re oh so casually reminding reporters that you got the same number of votes as the nominee did and politely declining to interfere with your delegates’ very “personal decision” by asking them to vote for the other guy? Be sure to follow that last link, too, and note the enthusiasm of the New York delegation when asked whether they’re ready to elect a president. Exit quotation: “I’m thoroughly disgusted with the Democratic Party… I believe the real magic of Barack Obama was his ability to turn lifelong Democrats like us into McCain supporters overnight.”