Hillary Voices her Emphatic Support for Obama

If there were any doubt about whether she was serious in her support for Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton was clear enough in her speech tonight.
She emphatically voiced her support right from the start:

You know, I'm -- I'm here tonight as a proud mother, as a proud Democrat...(APPLAUSE)... as a proud senator from New York...(APPLAUSE)...a proud American...(APPLAUSE)...and a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches, advocating for children, campaigning for universal health care, helping parents balance work and family, and fighting for women's rights here at home and around the world...(APPLAUSE)...to see another Republican in the White House squander our promise of a country that really fulfills the hopes of our people. And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months or endured the last eight years to suffer through more failed leadership. (APPLAUSE)
No way, no how, no McCain. (APPLAUSE) Barack Obama is my candidate, and he must be our president.

Maybe it's because I was in the hall, but I think it was the best speech I've heard her give. I've already heard the same from friends at home. She neatly connected the prosperity of Bill Clinton's presidency with Obama's candidacy:

And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalize our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our times. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, we did it before with President Clinton and the Democrats. (APPLAUSE) And if we do our part, we'll do it again with President Obama and the Democrats.

She did a great job of contrasting Obama and McCain, and went on to invoke the story of Harriet Tubman:

And even in the darkest moments, that is what Americans have done. We have found the faith to keep going.
I have seen it. I have seen it in our teachers and our firefighters, our police officers, our nurses, our small-business owners, and our union workers. I've seen it in the men and women of our military.
In America, you always keep going. We're Americans. We're not big on quitting.
And, remember, before we can keep going, we've got to get going by electing Barack Obama the next president of the United States. (APPLAUSE)

Hillary's supporters seemed to be jumping up and cheering with equal enthusiasm whenever she mentioned Obama. So for those trying to perpetuate the story of a rift between Clinton and Obama, all I can say is we'll just have to take her at her word.