Cokie Roberts, senior news analyst for National Public Radio and ABC political commentator, was born into the world of Beltway politics. Both her parents, Lindy and Hale Boggs, served in Congress, representing Louisiana. (Her mother, Lindy, was elected to her father's second-district seat when the House majority leader's twin-engine plane disappeared over Alaska in 1972, and he was presumed dead).

Roberts, an award-winning journalist, also has written several books, her latest being "Ladies of Liberty." She will be the special guest for "A Conversation With Paul O'Neill and Cokie Roberts" at 8 tonight at Heinz Hall, Downtown. Tickets (general admission, $35 and students, $15) are available at the door. The program benefits Gilda's Club of Western Pennsylvania.

Q: As the ultimate Beltway insider, who do you think is winning the hearts and minds of the super delegates?

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A: I think what's happening right now is that the super delegates are holding their breath and waiting to see what happens in Pennsylvania (tomorrow is the primary). I think that after the last set of primaries, the rush to sign up with one candidate or another stopped. But to the degree that they are trickling in, they are definitely trickling more to [Sen. Barack] Obama than to [Sen. Hillary Rodham] Clinton.

Q: If you were advising Sen. Clinton, what would you tell her to do as far as staying in the race?

A: I would absolutely say "stay in the race." This has been a year of enormous twists and turns, and she and [Obama] are tied. I mean it's not like she's some pathetic [person] trailing behind. It comes down to the super delegates no matter what for both of them. I think somebody has to figure out what to do about Michigan and Florida [their primary totals did not count because they moved up the dates of their elections against Democratic Party rules] because I don't think you can disenfranchise Michigan and Florida. I think it's crazy.

Q: So would Michigan and Florida have to do the primaries over?

A: They would either have to do that or come to some agreement with each other. Or they have to take it to the credentials committee and fight it out. My guess is that by the time you get to June, it will look like there's a winner, and people will start making deals to shore up the victory. If it doesn't look like there is a winner, sure, you could keep this going up to the convention, which of course, is a reporter's dream (laughing). I don't think this is bad for the Democratic Party. It's not like 1968 by any means. But it's also not like 1980. The campaigns might hate each other, but the voters don't feel that way.

Q: Some of Sen. Obama's appeal is that he is championing change in Washington. Does that eliminate choosing Sen. Clinton as a running mate?

A: I think they both have problems picking the other one as a running mate. The same thing is true for her, if she implies he doesn't have the experience -- then does he have the experience to be vice president? I don't think they are likely to be running mates. I think that's a bad choice for the party. First, having two senators; secondly, every president and vice president we've had have been white guys and to suddenly have none of those around on the Democratic side (laughing).

Q: How about a John McCain-Condoleezza Rice ticket?

A: Well, a lot of people are talking about that and again you end up very Washington and you have a lot of George Bush on that ticket, and that's hardly the most popular thing going at the moment. On the other hand, she is very attractive -- she's smart as they come.

Q: There are also those who believe that the expectations are so high for Obama that ultimately he will disappoint.

A: Some of that is of his own doing. If he's going to talk about change, change, change, it's fair to expect him to bring about change. How is he planning to do that? You know the founders actually wrote this document to make change very hard. They did it on purpose. They didn't like that idea. It's meant to be cumbersome and slow and considered and balanced. It's not a parliamentary system.

Q: How do you respond to those who believe the United States is not ready for a biracial, African-American president, yet he is helping to attract record numbers of voters?

A: I think both are true at the same time. I am not saying the United States is not ready. Is there racism in this country? Absolutely. Are there likely to be pockets of racism in states that could be crucial to the Democrats? Yes. The fact that he's getting lots of people voting for him of all hues is a wonderful testament to the country. And to him.

Q: What about President Clinton's legacy as a result of his campaigning for his wife?

A: I think a lot of people are irritated with him, and he's clearly irritated with a lot of people (laughing).

Q: When a candidate starts to repeat a message ad nauseam like "on day one" or "change," does it work?

A: (Laughing) Well, it clearly becomes "Saturday Night Live" fodder. But there is a lot of stuff in the atmosphere and a lot of information coming at everybody all the time, and to repeat a few simple words makes a good bit of sense.