The Hillary mystery solved -- at what cost?

We now know who's responsible for the above ad mashup. It's one Phil De Vellis, aka ParkRidge47, who, despite our theory was likely a Republican, was actually an Obama supporter. At this early point, though, there's no indication he was actually connected to the Obama campaign.

Either way, though, Hillary Clinton just scored a victory without a vote cast. The ad and its creator have given her a sympathy stream from voters, who are casting a bit of a frown at Obama because of it. Politics is fleeting, so whether the reactions will continue to build are hard to say.

It also bodes badly for the other candidates. Will someone else try a similar ad? Probably.

The campaign bloodletting just hit a new level.