Pelosi: Don't Expect Dem Dream Ticket

March 16, 2008 — -- No matter who is at the top, Barack Obama, D-Ill., or Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., for many Democrats this is the dream ticket.

Not going to happen, according to the highest elected Democrat in the country, who continues to maintain that only one will emerge on the ticket. On ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "We will ahve a dream ticket. And it will contain one of them."

Her view angers the Clinton camp, which has tried to win delegates by fostering the prospect of a joint ticket. ABC News political consultant Mark Halperin, also of Time magazine, said, "Nancy Peolosi probably thinks what a lot of Democrats think — that Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee, and she doesn't think there is any chance Obama will pick Clinton.

"That's why she doesn't think there will be a joint ticket."

It is virtually impossible for Clinton to overcome Obama's lead in elected delegates. Just this weekend, Obama netted a gain of 10 delegates in Iowa, primarily from supporters of John Edwards.

But, Clinton could win with heavy support from non-elected superdelegates. Here again, Pelosi's remarks on ABC will not endear her to Hillary Clinton: "If the votes of the superdelegates overturn what happened in the elections, it would be harmful to the Democratic Party."

Even so, the Clinton camp hopes superdelegates will take a look at Obama's problems, especially controversial remarks made by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

On Sunday, Obama's church denounced the massive coverage of Wright's remarks and said it was "an attack ... on the history of the African-American church."

So far, Obama has said he will not abandon his church. But after the church's statement, which did not criticize Wright's remarks, Obama may face new questions.