Not 48, not 24

Andrew Sullivan points us to a post by Hilary Rosen (which he praises by calling it an Yglesias Award Nominee) that states:

Senator Clinton's speech last night was a justifiably proud recitation of her accomplishments over the course of this campaign, but it did not end right. She didn't do what she should have done. As hard and as painful as it might have been, she should have conceded, congratulated, endorsed and committed to Barack Obama. Therefore the next 48 hours are now as important to the future reputation of Hillary Clinton as the last year and a half have been.

The first three sentences are absolutely correct from the standpoint of a Hillary Clinton supporter, as Rosen admits to being (I am personally growing a little tired of the proud, heroic, courageous campaign idea, given her low downside, her ample fallback position of two mansions and $100 mill in the bank, but, whatever).

It's the fourth sentence, the one that gives her 48 hours to do the right thing. Who picked 48? I understand the reluctance of Clinton and her supporters to give up on the dream, but it's over, dead, finished.

I wrote four weeks ago that the time had come, that the party should take action to end this and stop fearing the power of someone who represents the past, and I was not the first or only. It's time for Howard Dean and Donna Brazile to take Hillary by the hand, make her sign a concession statement with shaking hand, and lead her to a beach where she can rest and regain whatever sense she has (and they can drop Terry McAuliffe off at a loony bin on the way).