No one expected Hillary Clinton to cut short the roll call vote she had demanded as part of a “catharsis” for her embittered supporters. But suddenly there she was, on the floor with New York Governor David Patterson and Senior Senator Chuck Schumer, calling for the vote to stop, and Barack Obama to be nominated by acclamation. Delegates were stunned. Many were weeping. Laughing. Hugging. Screaming. I caught up with DNC chairman Howard Dean and asked him just how spontaneous it had been.  read more »