It’s all a numbers game.

This is as good a time as any to review the delegate situation in the Democratic Party to see just where Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stand.

There are a total of 4048 delegates in the party. The magic number to win the presidential nomination is 2,025.

As of this writing, and according to a CBS News tabulation, there are 611 pledged delegates left, spread out over 13 contests. CBS says that includes Guam and Puerto Rico.

To date, if you include elected or pledged delegates and super delegates, Barack Obama has 1552, Hillary Clinton has 1441, and John Edwards (remember him?) has 26.

If you leave out the super delegates and stick with just those elected, Obama has 1354, Clinton has 1209, and Edwards has 26.

If you look just at the super delegates, Obama has 198 and Clinton has 232.

A Deal Must Be Made

You can see why the remaining delegates and the super delegates who may be thinking of changing candidates are so important to the outcome of this contest.

It could and probably will get really ugly.

Which is why a deal MUST be made before this mess goes to the convention this summer in Denver.

It MUST and it WILL!