DENVER--Less than a day after the Democratic Party nominated Barack Obama as its candidate for President, two of Hillary Clinton’s strongest supporters held a private meeting with top donors to talk about some close-to-the-ground methods of improving his performance in the critical swing states of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“It was a mix of Obama and Clinton donors,” said Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, who hosted the event with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, as he left the meeting “Dodgeball” room of the Curtis hotel. “And a lot of those folks go back with me to 2000 when I was the DNC chair. We discussed ways to legally help the Pennsylvania and Ohio Democratic parties, to strengthen the parties, which will strengthen their abilities to get what is called a coordinated campaign going.  read more »

In an interview today with N.P.R's Michele Norris, Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, a major Hillary Clinton supporter who is now backing Barack Obama, said he would, under no circumstances, be Obama's running mate.

A partial transcript, as sent over by N.P.R.:  read more »

LAKEWOOD, Ohio—Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio thinks Hillary Clinton should keep pursuing the Democratic nomination even if she emerges from Tuesday’s voting with a victory only in his state.

“In my judgment and if I’m asked, I’ll say to her that if she wins Ohio, I think she should continue this because Pennsylvania is another sizable state,” Strickland said in an interview with The Observer after a campaign event here with Bill Clinton. “We need to be thinking about what is going to happen in November. It will do no good to come up with a Democratic nominee if we don’t win in November. We’ve been through that before.”

When asked if there wouldn’t be overwhelming pressure from senior Democratic Party officials on Hillary Clinton to withdraw from the race if she were to lose Texas—no less a supporter than her husband has intimated that she wouldn’t be the nominee if she didn’t win both major states on March 4—Strickland grew adamant.  read more »

Eliot Spitzer just made his debut on a Hillary Clinton conference call just now, along with New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, to discuss economic development.

When the line was opened up for questions, the first one was directed at Spitzer, about his plan to allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, a policy he withdrew after Clinton ran into a world of trouble for refusing to criticize it at a debate.  read more »

In a conference call that just ended, Hillary Clinton announced the endorsement of Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.

"The road to the White House goes through Ohio," she said. "I am going to be very proud and grateful to have Governor Strickland travel it with me."

In the call, Strickland said he had decided to endorse Clinton for three main reasons, which seemed partly designed to preempt some of the usual questions about Clinton's presumed weaknesses.

"I consider her experienced, a strong leader," he began, who can bring about the "change we so desperately need."

He addressed the concerns about Clinton's electability by saying "I believe she is the strongest candidate our party can put forth" and that she is "the person who can win the presidency. I know Ohio very well," he added. "I think Sen. Clinton has a message that resonates, that will resonate with the people of our state."

More after the jump.  read more »