Don't want to miss out on the latest in politics? Start each day with The Post Politics Hour. Join in each weekday morning at 11 a.m. as a member of The Washington Post's team of White House and congressional reporters answers questions about the latest in buzz in Washington and The Post's coverage of political news.

Washington Post national political reporter Lois Romano was online Friday, May 9 at 11 a.m. ET to discuss the latest news in politics.

The transcript follows.

Get the latest campaign news live on washingtonpost.com's The Trail, or subscribe to the daily Post Politics Podcast.

Archive: Post Politics Hour discussion transcripts

____________________

Lois Romano: Good morning, folks. It's pouring rain here in Washington, so I hope some of you are in sunnier spots today. Thanks for joining us.

_______________________

St. Paul, Minn.: Hi Lois -- thanks for taking my question and for chatting with us today. Sen. McCain is upset because Sen. Obama made a comment about McCain "losing his bearings" in his contention that Obama would support Hamas (or something along those lines), alleging that Obama is trying to play the "age card." I don't know if that was what Obama was intending, but is it a mistake for McCain to bring attention to his age when a lot of people might not even have thought that in the first place?

washingtonpost.com: Obama accuses McCain of 'losing his bearings' with comment (AP, May 8)

Lois Romano: My guess is that the McCain campaign was asked to comment on it by other journalists, so it put out a statement. I would be surprised if Sen. Obama wasn't fully aware of what he was saying or implying. Strategically, he can't attack McCain for his age -- but he can thrown out buzz words like "losing his bearings" to get the point across. By the same token, you will see McCain go after Obama on experience.

_______________________

Manhattan, Kan.: Thanks for this discussion. At what point do the undeclared Democratic supers begin to look just plain silly? For example, yesterday we witnessed throngs of Democratic representatives -- a number of whom remain uncommitted -- fawning over Obama as if he were a rock star. Today, John Edwards did the morning talk shows to say he wouldn't endorse yet, but he made clear -- at least on "Morning Joe" -- whom he most likely would be endorsing. I heard him, and I didn't even need my Dick Tracy Secret Decoder Ring to tell that he had voted for Obama and would be endorsing him at some point in the future. Why all this affected coyness?

Lois Romano: Historically, partisan leaders have tried to stay neutral during a primary. I'm not sure Edwards is being coy -- he may just be respecting tradition. As for the others: Some are just waiting out of respect for Sen. Clinton; others just don't want to decide the election. They want Obama to win through the primaries.

_______________________

Prescott, Ariz.: Yesterday Cindy McCain said she would not release her financial information such as tax returns under any circumstances. Today The Washington Post added yet another of many instances where McCain legislation helped his financial backers make a lot of money. Combining the two, how do we know that Cindy McCain hasn't personally profited from her husbands legislation?

As an example, the developer Suncor is poised to make a lot of money on a McCain-assisted land swap. What sort of assurances do we have that Cindy McCain doesn't own some stake in this company or hasn't bought one based on insider information? I notice the questions The Post posed to McCain don't cover this angle.

Lois Romano: I'm sure that before this election is over, the public will know much more about Cindy McCain's finances.

_______________________

Washington: If "anyone but McCain" continues to get a quarter or more of the GOP vote in the remaining primaries, do you think that is a big warning sign for him? Is there any recent historic precedent for this (like Bush in the last 2000 primary contests or in 2004)?

Lois Romano: I think the GOP will be mobilized to support him when it considers the alternative. Do they really want Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton picking the next three Supreme Court justices?

_______________________

Cambridge, Mass.: In light of the multimillion-dollar loans Clinton has made to her campaign, is it fair to say that when supporters donate to her campaign, their money is in effect going straight into Clinton's already gigantic personal bank account? If that's the case, why would anyone want to contribute (unless, of course, they wanted to help a multimillionaire become a little richer)?

Lois Romano: There are a lot of wealthier people who will be inclined to help Clinton get paid back. This is nothing new -- politicians lend money to their campaigns and then have fundraisers to get repaid. The incentive in this case is that the Clintons will remain powerful political players who donors will continue to court.

_______________________

Central Maryland: Yesterday, Mrs. Clinton suggested she has the support of "hard-working Americans." Apparently she also made a reference to "white Americans," which has drawn scrutiny, but has anyone examined the first claim? Exit polls suggest the elderly overwhelmingly favor Hillary. Nothing against the elderly, but most of them are not in the workforce -- which means they for the most part are not working at all, much less hard. I believe Obama has been winning the under-65 age groups, who are much more likely to be in the work force. Has there been any polling among people who work? I suspect Obama actually is winning their votes.

Lois Romano: Clinton does have strong support among working-class Americans. They also have been called "Reagan Democrats," and there is some question as to whether they would vote for Obama or go to McCain. She is trying to suggest that Obama is too liberal for them.

_______________________

Naperville, Ill.: Why won't anyone in the media tell Hillary that she can't change the Democratic National Committee rules, that she isn't a Republican candidate with a winner-take-all system, and that she's embarrassing herself? Her supporters are trying to defend themselves at the water cooler, beauty shop, etc., and her actions make them look like fools to their peers.

Lois Romano: It's her right to stay in the race -- that's the Democratic system. Some of those delegates will be seated -- no question about it -- and it will be decided by the party. She has run a very hard, long, close race -- and she earned the right to stay in until the end. It's just your opinion that her supporters look foolish. I see them as loyal.

_______________________

Experience ... not race?: You wrote: "You'll see McCain go after Obama on experience" ... and you'll see his 527 front groups going after Obama on race, I have no doubt, too! Then again, you'll also see Obama go after McCain on his times when he has "lost his bearings" and said one thing publicly and voted the opposite. Yes, we'll see it all coming up ... and I for one can't wait to watch the fake Maverick balloon deflate when finally faced with the facts of his flip-flops.

Lois Romano: Sadly, you are probably right -- I don't think we've heard the last of the race issue in this campaign. But 527 better be careful -- race is still a charged issue in this country, and it could end up backfiring on McCain -- even if he is not raising it.

_______________________

Long Island, N.Y.: As a native Staten Islander who went to the same high school as Vito (or as the papers are now calling him, "Vino") Fossella, what is the GOP's view of him not resigning (yet)? When he does leave (I guess "if" is out of the question) how likely will the GOP be to hold the seat? In my opinion, if GOP can't hold the Staten Island-based 13th District seat, how can they expect to do well anywhere in November without an incumbent?

Lois Romano: They undoubtedly would like him to resign ASAP. He's probably using it as a bargaining chip. I don't know about the district.

_______________________

Baltimore: Veep speculation mania: Who are political reporters seeing as the likely vice presidential choice by Sen. Obama? I keep thinking that Sen. Jim Webb would be a strong choice, given his military and national security credentials.

washingtonpost.com: The Fix's Friday Line: Veepstakes! (washingtonpost.com, May 9)

Lois Romano: Jim Webb certainly would be someone for Obama to consider for veep, because he brings military and national security security credentials and he's from a conservative state.

Other possibilities: Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Ted Strickland, Kathleen Sebelius, Bill Richardson, Claire McCaskill or Tim Kaine.

_______________________

Princeton, N.J.: Why didn't the media treat David Vitter the same way they treated Eliot Spitzer?

Lois Romano: I'm not sure what you mean exactly, but if you believe Spitzer was a bigger story, that's true. He was governor of a large, important state, built a career on law and order, and was considered presidential timber -- none of which applied to Vitter.

_______________________

Jackson Heights, N.Y.: What's the rationale at this point for superdelegates supporting Hillary? Unless they are associated with a particular constituency or community that has made a clear choice for Hillary, pretty much every area/group/constituency has had an opportunity to weigh in, and has supported Obama. Will she drop out in a week or so? I'm ready for this to be over.

Lois Romano: Some superdelegates simply want to keep their commitment to Hillary and don't feel any need to rush to Obama. She will consider dropping out after the last primary. She wants to see if anything gets resolved with Michigan and Florida, and the campaign is holding out for some dramatic turn of events that could damage Obama.

_______________________

Southwest Nebraska: My favorite Obama comment on McCain's age is praise for his "50 years of service to our country." How does McCain complain about that?

Lois Romano: Yeah -- that's a pretty good one.

_______________________

Hell's Kitchen, N.Y.: McCain has enjoyed success thus far by courting the traditional media -- after all, it's a tried-and-true model for him. But don't the new media tools of 2008 pose a minefield for journalists' favorite "maverick"? Unlike with members of the press, it's hard to get millions of YouTube viewers or thousands of blog readers to eat out of your hands, isn't it? And McCain's downfall always will be the visual and audio "proof" that what he often says differs from what he says later (or how he actually ends up voting -- or not -- in the Senate).

Lois Romano: Yes, for sure it is a different media in this cycle. But I do think the mainstream media still has enormous influence. That being said, the mainstream media has not given him a free ride. He was the underdog in 2000. He is the nominee now -- and with that comes a whole new level of scrutiny.

_______________________

Re: Clintons' power: You wrote: "The incentive in this case is that the Clintons will remain powerful political players that donors will continue to court," but there are many who believe that the Clinton aura is winding down, naturally because of time, and faster because of this campaign. People really are talking about the idea of contributing to Obama, who it is said will make a deal to pay off her debt, and they don't want their money going there.

Lois Romano: I never count out the Clintons -- they have a lot of lives. Yes, Obama will help with debt. But she still will be a powerful U.S. senator from an important state.

_______________________

The Great Debaters: Will we see any more debates between Hillary and Obama? How do you think each of them would do in debates against McCain?

Lois Romano: I doubt very much Obama will agree to debate Clinton again. He doesn't have to. He has the delegates he needs.

Clinton would do very well in a debate with McCain -- that's a good format for her. Obama has held his own in all the debates so I suspect he'll do just fine.

_______________________

Princeton, N.J.: I think what I meant was clear. Where is Spitzer now and where is Vitter now? If they had received the same media coverage, they both would be out of office.

Lois Romano: I answered it. Spitzer was a bigger story, therefore more scrutiny.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Hi Lois. I'm hoping you can help me -- I have a technical question regarding the delegates. From what I can tell, Obama has 1,590.5 pledged delegates. Can you please explain to me what half a pledged delegate is? How is that possible? Doesn't each delegate represent one vote on the floor?

Lois Romano: I don't know, but its a good question. Anyone out there know?

_______________________

Cheltenham, U.K.: While I originally thought Sen Clinton should ride it out until the end, it appears apparent to most she is doing so for purely selfish reasons and has nothing to do with the making sure everyone votes. She is coming across now as postal -- okay, you did not pick me, so I will say and do whatever I want. You better be nice while I throw this tantrum or I will band together my "white horde" and go home. Your thoughts?

washingtonpost.com: Don't Expect Clinton to Quit Before Superdelegates Decide (Post, May 9)

Lois Romano: She seems to be hoping for a miracle. Clinton truly believes she can beat McCain and Obama can't, so she is hoping if she hangs in there long enough, something might emerge to damage Obama -- an "ah-ha" moment for Democrats, who would then turn to her. It's a lot of "ifs"-- but as I just said, I never write off the Clintons.

_______________________

Western North Carolina: Democrats Abroad delegates get a half vote.

Lois Romano: Thank you!

_______________________

San Francisco : Good morning, Lois -- thanks for the insightful chats! Do you think the McCain land-deal story has legs? How much could this hurt him? I get the feeling it won't, really.

Lois Romano: I agree, it's too inside baseball for the average voter to worry about when there are more important things, such as a faltering economy, war in Iraq, terrorism threats, etc.

_______________________

Is Obama Going to Reshape Political Finance?: Lois, there are some interesting looks at how Obama is working to change the political finance system through tools such as MyBarackObama.com and other wide distribution networks. As someone who has followed the concentrated money flows in politics, what do you think about these new technocrat-focused initiatives?

washingtonpost.com: Obama's Consolidation of the Party (openleft.com, May 7)

Lois Romano: Such fundraising tools clearly are redefining politics. Obama has done as well as he has in part because of the tools he has used to raise astronomical amounts of money. He also has made use of social networks to build a remarkable grassroots effort.

_______________________

Age is a good thing: You keep bringing up age like its a negative. The "don't trust anyone over 30 crowd" that is for Obama may think so, but the 50-plus crowd is much bigger, and age discrimination can backfire easily, just like race.

Lois Romano: Age and experience are important, no question. But Obama will try to cast McCain as too old, too out of touch, too out of it. And McCain will do the same in reverse.

_______________________

Lois Romano: Thank you all for joining me today. Such an exciting time in politics. Please join us at this same time every day.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.