From my email inbox, dated 10:39:48 PM PDT Wednesday

Dear Lisa,

I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.

When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.

I made you -- and everyone who supported me -- a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I'm going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.

I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama. The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.

I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have shown me in the past 16 months. And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.

In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness.

I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

So -- what do you think of this letter? Is this the heartfelt note to followers and gracious concession that will build a bridge to coalitions of voters and donors alike for Obama '08?

Jill Zimon describes Sen. Clinton's email with the headline Clinton's plea to supporters: Stakes too high not to rally behind Obama:

"There will be some people who won’t let her go - either as the candidate or for not using the words they want her to use with her supporters. That’s going to be their problem."

Sen. Clinton's email reads a little like what BlogHer user (and Obama supporter) Laracolvin sounds like she needs to get beyond a "charring" primary season:

What This Idealist Learned From the Primaries

"Happy post-primary. It is final...finally, and Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee. Somewhere inside me the swells of relief are meeting up with the waves of excitement and pride - but I'll be damned if I can unearth them to show you. See, anticlimatic is a mild description of what I'm feeling. Fatigued - too cliche. Weary - too connotated. Like a steak once pink and juicy left on the grill too long, I'm just plain charred by the past few months..."

In Hillary a la carte, Gloria Pan is, if anything, blunter. After extolling Sen. Clinton's virtues, she takes aim at the entourage in an imaginary conversation with Sen. Obama:

"We totally get it: Hillary et al is probably more than you want to or could swallow. What if, however, in exchange for making her your Number Two, Harold [Ickes] has to go serve in the Middle East for a few years, preferably in a part of the desert where the cellular service is spotty? And Bill [Clinton] could be US ambassador to England and hang out with old pal Tony, if he can get over Tony making George his new BFF before Bill’s seat in the Oval Room was barely cold. With both these dudes out of the country, you could have Hillary à la carte (with a little Chelsea on the side)."

Lefty BlogHer Contributing Editor Morra Aarons, equally blunt and a veteran of John Kerry's 2004 campaign, has moved on to what will win Democrats the election in November: Hillary Clinton isn't macho enough to be VP

What I'm not seeing much of, yet anyway, is an echo of the poll CBS News released yesterday about the fundamental difference Hillary Clinton's candidacy has made for women in public office.

CBS Poll: Clinton's Run Opens Doors For Women
Most Voters Think Her Candidacy Will Make It Easier For Other Women To Run For President

"Hillary Clinton's campaign as the first serious female contender for the Democratic presidential nomination represents a shattering of the glass ceiling in presidential politics, a new CBS News poll shows. Most voters think that win or lose, her candidacy will make it easier for other women to run for president.

"Sixty percent of men and 76 percent of women agree that Clinton's candidacy will make it easier for future women to run for president.

"The historic nature of Clinton’s candidacy is reflected in the bipartisan nature of voters’ views on this question..."

So -- what do you think? Will Hillary's letter build bridges? Should she be VP or not? Is it possible to recruit her millions of supporters - or will they default to Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate?

And one last question: Do you think more women will run for office now that Hillary has? Will you?