The question I’m left asking after reading the New York Times article on African-American leaders in New York hedging their bets between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama: If Rep. Charlie Rangel is such a staunch Hillary supporter, why did he encourage Obama to run for president?

If Obama ends up beating Hillary, how ironic would it be that the rival who beat her was encouraged to run by the same man who first encouraged her to run for Senate in New York state?