Leahy says it could be end game

Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is the latest prominent politician from New England to take to the airwaves as a messenger for Barack Obama.

Leahy said this afternoon on MSNBC that by the time the voting is over tonight, Obama will still hold a significant lead in delegates no matter what happens. Obama is expected to easily win today in Vermont and grab the lion's share of the 15 delegates at stake.

If Hillary Clinton only wins one or two of the four states voting today, she should strongly consider whether to withdraw and return to the Senate, Leahy said in an interview from Capitol Hill.

Clinton, he said, should be thinking, "I can do a great deal of good for my state, New York. I can do a great deal of good for my country."

Leahy argued that the longer the nomination race goes on, the bigger the danger that it will hurt Democratic hopes of retaking the White House in November. Given that Obama has won 11 straight contests before today, Leahy said, "If the shoe was on the other foot, I think you'd hear the Clinton campaign saying, 'Get out of the race for the good of the party' "