Bill Clinton puts to rest any lingering suspicion that his campaigning on behalf of Obama will be essentially forced at gunpoint, with this long, detailed, even fulsome endorsement: “President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next President of the United States.”

That’s it, people.

Clinton was apparently peeved that pundits were questioning his commitment, and so he decided to split the difference between putting speculation to rest and flipping the bird to all involved. That’s the endorsement.

Twenty-seven words in all.

And frankly, we could have done without one of those words. That would be “obviously,” which gives the so-called endorsement all the depth and sincerity of a thirteen-year-old boy telling his mother that obviously he intends to mow the lawn after he clears his personal best on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

If anyone in America needed one last tiny reminder as to why putting Hillary, and her testy come-along spouse, on the 2008 ticket would be a poor idea, this endorsement is obviously it. Like, obviously.