We'll Put a Dollar Value on Presidential Delegates for Each Candidate

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Free Spender

Barack Obama is blowing away the field in spending money on television ads — and his advertising cost-per-delegate is far higher than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain

A new report in Advertising Age magazine indicates Obama had spent more than $46 million on TV ads through February 26. And that averaged out to a cost per delegate of almost $34,000 in advertising output. That total includes superdelegate estimates. Senator Clinton has dropped just under $ 33 million on TV ads — for a cost of almost $26,000 per delegate. McCain is a picture of frugality in contrast — spending around $9.5 million — averaging about $9,300 per delegate.

Some of the men who are no longer candidates paid dearly for their delegates. John Edwards spent more than eight million for 26 delegates — about $320,000 apiece. Ron Paul spent about three million for 21 delegates — around $150,000 apiece. And Mitt Romney laid out almost $32 million for TV ads, spending around $125,000 per delegate.

Party Line

Members of Hillary Clinton's staff engaged in what was called an "emergency" conference call with reporters Tuesday night — got a surprise question — from Barack Obama's chief legal counsel. Clinton staffers were discussing alleged rules violations and intimidation in the Texas primaries and caucuses by Obama's campaign.

That's when Obama lawyer Robert Bauer — who is not a reporter — dialed into the call. He then suggested the Clinton complaints were no different that ones made in every caucus that she has lost — and that she was a sore loser. Bauer and Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson argued for several minutes before the call ended.

Holding Out

The Boston College Law School will break with recent tradition — and not give out its highest honor to Attorney General Michael Mukasey when he speaks at its commencement in May. The Boston Globe reports many students, faculty, and alumni wanted Mukasey's invitation rescinded because he has refused to declare the interrogation technique called waterboarding is torture.

So law school dean John Garvey has announced that the school's Founder's Medal will no longer be given out to commencement speakers — in an effort to depoliticize the selection process. Some are calling this a compromise to appease Mukasey's critics.

Unwelcome Mat

And if President Bush and Vice President Cheney are looking for a new vacation spot — there are a couple of towns in Vermont they might want to avoid. Voters in Brattleboro and Marlboro have approved measures calling for the indictment of the men for alleged violations of the constitution — and their arrest if they ever show up.

There's no need to worry about a shootout between the Brattleboro cops and the Secret Service because the town clerk admits the ballot measure is only symbolic and that the town attorney has no legal authority to draw up arrest papers.

Even one resident who opposes the Iraq war called the measure silly. And another who says he dislikes both men says the vote was not a good reflection on the town.

— FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.