Ba-dump-shhh.

The Obama camp has moved quickly--and deftly--to shut down the Hillary Clinton bid for the vice presidential pick.

The well-sourced Jackie Calmes reports in the Wall Street Journal that "close advisers to Sen. Obama are signaling that an Obama-Clinton ticket is highly unlikely." The way they're signaling it is by suggesting that, even for Hillary to be considered, Bill Clinton would have to "release records of his business dealings and big donors to his presidential library." No one thinks Bill Clinton is inclined to do this.

End run, with alibi! Elegant, clean, impenetrable. Aikido politics, using the opposition's force against it.