…National Public Radio this morning reported that Wesley Clark “finished third in New Hampshire,” implying, of course, that Senator Edwards from North Carolina (who will be the nominee according to my crystal ball) suffered a severe setback.

In reality, Clark got 12.4% of the vote, or 27,254, while Edwards got 12% of the vote, or 26,416. Considering that Clark bypassed Iowa, and concentrated all his efforts on New Hampshire, while Edwards campaigned heavily in Iowa, and then had to campaign simultaneously in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the rational conclusion is that the Edwards performance was remarkably strong, and that he in effect tied for 3rd in New Hampshire against a candidate who had devoted 100% of his efforts to running there.

At least the leading Republican contender for the Democratic nomination, the shill for the insurance industry Joseph Lieberman, suffered a humiliating defeat, coming in a distant 5th. Now he needs to go away.