An Exit For Hillary?

That’s the siren on Drudge (no permalink, as usual):

Facing a double-digit defeat in New Hampshire, a sudden collapse in national polls and an expected fund-raising drought, Senator Hillary Clinton is preparing for a tough decision: Does she get out of the race? And when?!

“She can’t take multiple double-digit losses in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada,” laments one top campaign insider. “If she gets too badly embarrassed, it will really harm her. She doesn’t want the Clinton brand to be damaged with back-to-back-to-back defeats.”

It seems a little premature to me. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time a Clinton pulled out early.

[Update late morning]

Wow. Dana Milbank sure isn’t a Hillary fan.

[Another update before noon]

Looks like Bill Richardson has put all his chips on Obama:

“The preternaturally jolly McAuliffe is a good man to have spinning for you in a pinch. But his good cheer dimmed when I asked him about Bill Richardson, who appears to have made an 11th-hour deal to throw his supporters to Obama. “How many times did [Clinton] appoint him?” McAuliffe marveled. “Two? U.N. Ambassador and Energy Secretary?” He looked at me, half-glaring, awaiting confirmation. “I don’t know,” I joked, “but who’s counting?” “I am,” McAuliffe said firmly”

Joe Monahan this morning also cites current ABC newsman (and former Clintonista) George Stephanopolous to the same effect — that Richardson has burned whatever bridge he may have had with the Clintons — and Monahan suggests that, for Richardson, New Mexico may end up being the Land of Entrapment.

He might want to start wearing a helmet that can handle flying ashtrays.

[Afternoon update]

Brian Cherry has some pretty tart comments about the situation:

Iowa Democrat voters discarded Hillary like a healthy body rejecting a kidney transplant from a baboon. This was in a microcosm what can happen when Hillary is running in the general election against whoever the Republican