She Owes Clinton, But Family's Family

Talk about conflicted. House Democrat Lois Capps of California is one of those sought-after superdelegates sitting on the fence. And can you blame her? Capps has political ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, both of whom played a role in helping her win election to the Santa Barbara seat opened by the death of her first-term husband, then Rep. Walter Capps, in 1997. But she also has personal ties to Sen. Barack Obama. His flack, Bill Burton, is her son-in-law. Burton wed Capps's daughter, Laura, in a 2007 ceremony that he dubbed "The Audacity of Taupe," since the guys wore tan suits. Stuck in the middle, she's staying uncommitted. "I want to stay nimble, if you will."

By Paul Bedard