Morning Read

Barack Obama has a good chance to flip Virginia from red to blue this fall and a new poll proves it, liberals proclaim, while Obama is wrong to support the Supreme Court

The political value of Barack Obama

The Republican congressional campaign committees are in a heap of electoral, legal and financial trouble, according to bloggers on both sides. New polls give both Barack Obama and John McCain reasons to be more optimistic than pundits suggest, bloggers writes. And the Supreme Court ruling allowing Guantanamo Bay detainees to argue their cases in civilian courts has further split Democrats, Republicans and bloggers.

The report that the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC) had $725,000 taken by a former employee and must now submit to a stricter accounting procedures doesn't bode well for House Republicans, who will now have trouble borrowing money to compete with Democrats this year, kos writes. In the race for the Senate, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) has revised his worst-case target of 41 seats for Republicans to 45 seats, a low number that's evidence of how bad things are for Republicans this year, writes MyDD's Todd Beeton. Ensign, who has blamed paltry fundraising on "bad" donor mailing lists, should forget about campaign strategy and technology, and instead focusing on returning to the conservative policies of Ronald Reagan, according to Matthew Sheffield on The Next Right.

Despite the long Democratic nomination tussle, a new Hotline/Diageo poll shows that 68 percent of Democrats are satisfied with Obama as their nominee while just 52 percent of Republicans are happy with McCain, notes Eric Kleefeld at TPM Election Central. But McCain does better than Obama in an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll among white voters, always a key demographic, and the Republican trails by six percentage points among registered voters, a gap that should close in surveys of likely voters, writes RedState's Pejman Yousefzadeh.

The Supreme Court has correctly reversed two laws limiting detainees' court rights, and any member who heeds Sen. Lindsey Graham's call for a constitutional amendment risks earning another "moral stain," writes mcjoan at Daily Kos. But according to Power Line's Scott Johnson, the court decision is a vast expansion of judicial wartime powers, benefits foreign terrorists, and leaves open the option for the United States to send terror suspects to other countries for detention.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Fallout From NRCC Embezzlement - kos, Daily Kos
Sen. Ensign Revises GOP Hopes... to 45 Seats - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Ensign: Bad Mailing Lists? - Matthew Sheffield, The Next Right
Dems Satisfied W/ Nominee, Repubs Aren't - Kleefeld, TPM Elect.
Seems Awfully Close For A Landslide - P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
Obama Should've Picked Me To Econ Team - Dean Baker, TPMCafe
Cusack's Savage Satire Strikes Chord - A. Huffington, HuffPo
Right's Institutions Need To Talk To Country - S. Dayton, Next Right
The Case For A McCain Flip-Flop - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Countrywide Loans For More Obama Backers - M. Lane, RedState
Morally Bankrupt: Sen. Graham and Detainees - mcjoan, Daily Kos
Boumediene The Day After - Scott Johnson, Power Line
Obama Fighting Smears Selectively - John Hinderaker, Power Line

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal In Civilian Court - NYT
Administration Strategy For Detentions Now In Disarray - Wash. Post
McCain and Obama Split On Guantanamo Bay Ruling - New York Times
Earmark Spending Makes A Comeback - Washington Post

John McCain has no explanation that will satisfy liberal bloogers regarding his latest remark about a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq. One of McCain's possible vice presidential picks, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), is getting more scrutiny for his role in an exorcism. And while Democrats should welcome Vice President Dick Cheney onto the congressional campaign trail, Republican candidates should see a bounce in poll numbers now that the Democratic primaries are over, bloggers write.

Backers of McCain, who responded Wednesday to a question about a withdrawal timeline by calling it "not too important," defended him by saying that the reference was to a deadline, not to the troops or a withdrawal. But failing to have an estimate for the end of U.S. military involvement in Iraq is still problematic, since one is needed if the troops are ever to return, according to Josh Orton at MyDD. McCain, however, shouldn't apologize, according to The Corner's Kathryn Jean Lopez, who finds it rash and more worrisome that Barack Obama is ready to pull troops out within 60 days. The Obama campaign is being misleading when it questions whether McCain is sufficiently concerned about troops' welfare, as McCain's remark showed that he cares more about troops' safety than about a troop pull-out, writes Pejman Yousefzadeh at RedState.

Jindal, a rising star in the Republican Party, once wrote about being involved in an exorcism back when he was in college, according to TPM Election Central's Kate Klonick and Eric Kleefeld, who link to Jindal's article. But if that's all that Democrats dig up, Jindal is in good shape, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit, who would welcome a "Democrats versus Catholics" debate.

When it comes to congressional races, Democrats should hope that Vice President Dick Cheney hits the campaign trail like he did in the recent Mississippi special election, since whenever he does, he reminds people of Republican ties to big energy companies, writes Daily Kos's smintheus. But now that the Democratic presidential primaries are over and activists' energy dissipates, Republicans should see an improvement in their poll numbers like the double digit jump Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has seen, writes The Next Right's Patrick Ruffini.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Context We Can Believe In - Josh Orton, MyDD
McCain No Apologies - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Tempest, Meet Teapot - Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
Is Bobby Jindal An Exorcist? - Klonick and Kleefeld, TPM Election
Bobby Jindal, Exorcist? - Allahpundit, Hot Air
NBC/WSJ Poll: Obama Up By Six - Todd Beeton, MyDD
Hit The Road, Joe - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
The Case For Gore - Dayo Olopade, The Plank
Attacking Michelle Obama - Isaac Chotiner, The Plank
Tech Illiterate: McCain - kos, Daily Kos
Obama's Integrated New Marketing Campaign - J. Henke, Next Right
Down The Memory Hole: RNC on Immig. - M. Krikorian, Corner
I Endorse Obama For President - Erick Erickson, RedState
Code Pink Founder, Obama Bundler - E. Morrissey, Hot Air
Mr. President, Your Legacy Is More Awful - Bob Cesca, HuffPo
Rahm Offers To Pay For Cheney's Travel - smintheus, Daily Kos
Cornyn Holds 17 Point Lead - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
New Gang of 14 Won't Back McCain - The Hill
Leader of Obama's VP Search Team Quits - Washington Post
Union Critical of Obama's Top Aide - New York Times
Joe Lieberman Supports McCain, Causes Friction - Los Angeles Times

Barack Obama's endorsement of a fellow Democrat in 2006 is coming back to haunt him, liberal bloggers write. House Democrats vulnerable this year should follow Rep. Dan Boren's (D-Okla.) decision not to endorse Obama, according to conservative bloggers. And Republicans in Congress, still facing an uphill battle in November's election, can rebuild their party brand by blaming Democrats for oil prices, following through on their new economic agenda and striking a deal on labor-friendly legislation, suggest pro-Republican bloggers.

Back when Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) was a Democrat facing a tough primary challenge two years ago, he begged Obama to endorse him, which Obama did, according to a "top Lieberman official" who talks to TPM's Greg Sargent. Now Lieberman is undercutting Obama on national security and could work against an Obama administration as chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, writes kos.

Boren, who explained his decision to not back Obama by saying Illinois senator hasn't worked in a bipartisan fashion, has given John McCain a "devastating talking point" and put other Blue Dog Democrats on the hot seat, writes The Corner's Mark Hemingway. One of those centrist Democrats, Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas), should quit supporting Obama or risk losing his seat in a heavily Republican district, writes RedState's Erick Erickson.

Senate Republicans, who are losing the gas prices debate, should quit offering subsidies to oil companies and instead focus on Democrats' preference for imported Saudi oil over domestic drilling, writes The Next Right's Josh Kahn. And Republicans should test Democratic consistency on the Employee Free Choice Act by offering a deal that would make it easy for unions to organize but just as easy for employees to drop their membership, writes Jon Henke, also at The Next Right.

Maybe House Republicans already understand the need to try something new, as they plan to roll out a new economic agenda that calls for a flat tax, an earmark moratorium and a pledge to balance the budget without raising taxes, writes RedState's Rob Bluey.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Lieberman Official: We Begged Obama - G. Sargent, TPM Election
Obama's Worst Decision - kos, Daily Kos
Obama: Too Liberal Even For Dems - Mark Hemingway, The Corner
Compare And Contrast Dems in Red Districts - E. Erickson, RedState
Obama Shows His Punch - Robert Borosage, Huffington Post
John McCain And Reproductive Rights - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
RNC, Let's Go Down That Road - Josh Orton, MyDD
Barr's Conscience Wrestles w/ Drug War - Michael Idov, The Plank
Get Carter - Christopher Orr, The Plank
McCain On Corporate Pay - Ramesh Ponnuru, The Corner
Voinovich Ripe For A Challenge - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
Offering Dems A Deal On Card Check - Jon Henke, The Next Right
House GOP's Bold Economic Agenda - Rob Bluey, RedState
How Did GOP Get Stuck Defending 'Big Oil'? - J. Kahn, The Next Right

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Republicans Gird For Big Losses In Congress - Wall Street Journal
Two New-Style Candidates Hit Old Notes On Economy - NYT
Bush Regrets Legacy As Man Of War - The Times
Insiders On Speed Dial - The Hill

More Barack Obama advisers receive scrutiny from conservative bloggers. Obama, however, has hit his stride on the economy, writes liberal ones. And the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the case for the Iraq invasion is evidence either of Democratic straw-grasping or of the Bush administration's dishonesty, depending on which bloggers one reads.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) should think again before meeting with two of Obama's veep selection advisers, as Reid did yesterday, writes Ed Morrissey at Hot Air. One of them, Eric Holder, played a role in President Clinton's controversial pardon of Marc Rich, Morrissey notes, while the other, Jim Johnson, faces questions over loans he took from Countrywide Financial and the non-disclosure of his Fannie Mae salary, writes The Corner's Byron York. Obama himself may be engaging in hypocrisy, as he's attacking John McCain for wanting to bail out Wall Street just months after Obama refused to challenge the federal bailout of Bear Stearns, writes The Corner's Mark Hemingway.

Obama, however, has found the right tone in attacking Republicans over the economy. Instead of using a laundry list of reasons why Republicans have been wrong, Obama makes a cohesive case in arguing that the Bush administration's "ownership society" approach is to blame for current economic woes, writes Daily Kos's SusanG. Obama goes beyond the usual argument about Bush's incompetence to show that Bush's policies have failed, writes Josh Orton at MyDD.

The emphasis in the Senate report on the run-up to the Iraq invasion, put out by Sen. Jay Rockefeller's (D-W.Va.) Intelligence Committee, shows that Democrats can't argue the merits of the military surge and have instead returned to the pre-war debate, according to RedState's California Yankee. But it's important that someone document the Bush administration's statements, since the country is still at war and since the White House is using similar arguments for an attack on Iran, writes Arianna Huffington.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Jim Johnson Affair - Byron York, The Corner
When Harry Met Jimmy And Eric - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
Obama For Bailout Before Against It - Mark Hemingway, The Corner
Obama Goes On Offensive On Economy - SusanG, Daily Kos
Obama's Economic Speech, A Step Beyond Bush - Josh Orton, MyDD
Fear Itself - Gary Hart, TPMCafe
Democrats' New Political Threat To Security - Cal. Yankee, RedState
Senate Report Reveals White House 'Lies' - A. Huffington, HuffPo
Halperin On How They'll Choose Veeps - Jonathan Cohn, The Plank
'Constitutional Crisis?' Eh - Josh Patashnik, The Plank
Right On Time: Abramoff Sentencing - Josh Marshall, TPM
Obama Is Not Going To Get $100M In June - Moe Lane, RedState
McCain: Obama Runs For Carter's 2nd Term - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Selling Limited Government - Jon Henke, The Next Right
New GOP Energy Czar: Hitler - Kagro X, Daily Kos
Hang On, Saxby! - Todd Beeton, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Lobbying's Good Guys? Invisible On Campaign Trail - Wash. Post
Barack Obama Is $100 Million Man - The Hill
Obama, In Economic Tour, Criticizes McCain - New York Times
Obama Ramps Up Search For Running Mate - Associated Press

John McCain has a rough road ahead, according to members of his own party and liberal bloggers. Barack Obama deserves more scrutiny for his ties to lobbyists, a group he has railed against during the campaign, conservative bloggers write. And Democrats in Congress have yet to achieve the earmark reform they talk about and may have a tough time retaining one House freshman's seat, pro-Republican bloggers note.

McCain has yet to make ground with his "reformer" and "maverick" labels, which he'll need to do if he wants to overcome the organization and enthusiasm driving Obama's presidential bid, according to GOP insiders who talk to the Huffington Post's Thomas B. Edsall. McCain's general election campaign has been "schizophrenic," going from outreach to independents, a pledge to appoint conservative judges and a recent decision to co-opt Obama's message of change, writes MyDD's J Ro. A poll shows that McCain is only getting 48 percent of voters in South Carolina, a state that President Bush won with 58 percent, notes MyDD's Jonathan Singer.

Obama's problems with conservative bloggers stem from his lobbyist ties. While he says he won't accept their contributions, he takes money from former lobbyists, unregistered members of lobbyist firms and lobbyists registered at the state level, notes Pejman Yousefzadeh at RedState. A top member of his running mate selection team, Jim Johnson, has not only served as a lobbyist but has taken approximately $7 million in loans from Countrywide Financial, the mortgage firm blamed for much of the subprime housing mess, RedState's Soren Dayton charges.

Like Obama, Congressional Democrats have also talked about increasing government transparency. But they've yet to make much headway, as shown by the more than 28,000 earmark requests that crashed a House committee Web site, cites The Corner's Mark Hemingway. And in a year when everything seems to be working against them, House Republicans can find hope in a new poll that has freshman Democratic Rep. Zack Space behind his GOP challenger Fred Dailey, 32 percent to 46 percent, Dayton writes at The Next Right.

FROM THE BLOGS:
GOP Insiders Worry About McCain - T. Edsall, Huffington Post
McCain Can't Crack 50 Percent In S.C. - Jonathan Singer, MyDD
McCain's Vision Thing - J Ro, MyDD
Obama: Still Friendly To Lobbyists - Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
SEIU: Things To Fear In Obama Presidency - Dayton, Next Right
Obama's Johnson: Lobbyist, Mortgage Exec - Dayton, RedState
Memo To President Obama - Jared Bernstein, Huffington Post
Stop Attacking My.BarackObama.com - P. Ruffini, Next Right
Trivial Matter Of Whether War Was Mistake - J. Cohn, The Plank
Bipartisan Agreement On NYC Debate - Josh Marshall, TPM
CNN Climbing Out Of Obama Tank - Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
War Injuries? What War Injuries? - Mark Hemingway, The Corner
Reid's & Pelosi's Fiscal Reforms - M. Hemingway, The Corner
Rep. Space Down By Double Digits - Soren Dayton, The Next Right

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Voters Rank Economy As Election's No. 1 Issue - Wall Street Journal
John McCain's Ohio Disconnect - Los Angeles Times
McCain Extends Outreach, But Evangelicals Still Wary - New York Times
Senate Votes To Privatize Its Failing Restaurants - Washington Post

Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) latest efforts to help John McCain are antagonizing bloggers on the left again, to the delight of the conservative blogosphere. Supporters of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are ready to unify on one blog, but those on another are still debating Clinton's exit from the race. And with Congress in full swing, conservatives rejoice at the fall of the climate change bill while liberals see hope for yet another congressional race long dominated by Republicans.

Lieberman is leading an effort to stir up grassroots support and possibly take Democratic voters who backed Hillary Clinton away from Barack Obama, notes RedState's Moe Lane, who wonders why Senate Democrats don't strip him of his committee chairmanship. If Lieberman goes for re-election in 2012, he'll get knocked off, writes kos, who is looking forward to the pleasure. Lieberman may be earning points in the GOP veepstakes, but he'll find much resistance from the conservative base for opposing an abortion ban, writes the pro-life Kathryn Jean Lopez at The Corner.

Though Clinton supporters may be disappointed that their candidate didn't win, it's time for them to coalesce around Obama, who also supports ending the war, finding a new energy policy and increasing healthcare coverage, writes MyDD's pollbuster, a Clinton supporter. There's no need for Obama supporters to get to riled up about Clinton's decision to wait a few days after the last primaries to drop out, as other failed Democratic candidates had waited longer, notes David Greenberg at The Plank. But his colleague, Isaac Chotiner, writes that it was Clinton's combative speech on Tuesday, the night Obama had clinched the nomination, that has irked Obama supporters.

Conservative activists have reason to be happy now that the $6.7 trillion "green boondoggle" is about to die, but they still need to press senators on the fence like John Sununu (R-N.H.) not to support it if it comes to a vote, writes Michelle Malkin. Democrats find more electoral good news in Kansas, where former Rep. Jim Slattery (D) trails Sen. Pat Roberts (R) by just 12 percentage points, a margin that should close once Obama, a son of a Kansan, and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D) start campaigning for him, MyDD's Jonathan Singer writes.

And in a bit of lighthearted ridicule about a serious topic, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) hears it from TalkingPointsMemo's Kate Klonick for being fixated on the phrase "panties in a bunch" during a hearing about torture instead of decrying the Geneva Convention violations.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Lieberman: Veep Pack Leader? - Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Lieberman: 'Democrat Party' - kos, Daily Kos
The Lamont Thing Keeps Paying Dividends - Moe Lane, RedState
View From A Hillary Supporter - pollbuster, MyDD
Clinton Speech, Continued - Isaac Chotiner, The Plank
Historical Perspective On Clinton's Exit - D. Greenberg, The Plank
Obama Rises In Missouri - kos, Daily Kos
America's 40 Years War At End - Robert McElvaine, Huffington Post
How Obama Presidency Will Devolve - Sean Oxendine, The Next Right
McCain: Surprised I'm Not Being Blown Out - Allahpundit, Hot Air
Obama Caves Under Palestinian Pressure - Soren Dayton, RedState
McCain Campaign's Awkward Speaking Style - Josh Marshall, TPM
How The Right Can Renew Itself Online - Publius, The Next Right
Green Boondoggle Set To Go Down In Flames - Michelle Malkin
Slattery Competitive In Kan. Senate Race - J. Singer, MyDD
Rep. Rohrabacher: 'Panties In A Bunch' - Kate Klonick, TPM

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Moves To Next Phase As Clinton Douses VP Talk - NYT
In D.C., Obama Meets With Clinton - Washington Post
Adviser Says McCain Backs Bush Wiretaps - New York Times
Lieberman under Reid's Protection - The Hill

Republican fundraisers now hope that Hillary Clinton can energize their base by joining the Democratic ticket in November, proving that some feelings about the Clintons don't ever change, bloggers write. John McCain is on a misguided quest to snatch the mantle of change away from Obama, according to liberal bloggers. Senate Democrats, however, aren't getting anywhere by pushing a $6.7 trillion climate change bill and holding up judicial nominees, according to conservative bloggers.

The Hill reports Thursday that Republican bigwigs are rooting for Clinton to join Barack Obama as his running mate. That's another reason for Obama not to pick Clinton, writes Hot Air's Allahpundit, who adds that the GOP base should be energized already by the prospect of an Obama presidency. Republican loathing of Clinton is nothing new, but it contradicts the unqualified praise conservative pundits had given Clinton in recent weeks for challenging Obama, writes Josh Patashnik at The Plank.

McCain has said that he represents the right kind of change, but his response to Hurricane Katrina says otherwise, according to bloggers on the left. He voted against extending unemployment and Medicaid benefits for Katrina victims and, like President Bush, he didn't understand the magnitude of the disaster as it was happening in 2005, charges Daily Kos's smintheus. McCain has twice opposed the creation of a federal commission to investigate the Katrina response, notes TalkingPointsMemo's David Kurtz, who also runs a photo of McCain with Bush celebrating the senator's birthday on the same day the hurricane landed in Louisiana. More than four voters in 10 believe that McCain would continue Bush's policies, notes Daily Kos's DemFromCT, who looks at data from a new CBS poll that also shows McCain losing to Obama.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) rightfully calls out the Democrats for going back on a deal to allow judicial nominees to go through the confirmation process, according to The Next Right's Jon Henke, who sees an issue the GOP can use in this fall's races. And Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) shows that he "gets it" by opposing a $6.7 trillion climate change bill that could lead to more taxes, writes RedState's haystack.

FROM THE BLOGS:
GOP Praying For An Obama/Clinton Ticket? - Allahpundit, Hot Air
The More Things Change... - Josh Patashnik, The Plank
Caroline Kennedy On VP Search Team? - Lisa Schiffren, The Corner
McCain Makes A Grab For 'Change' Mantle - smintheus, Daily Kos
Katrina Revisited - David Kurtz, TalkingPointsMemo
Hamas 'Un-Endorses' Barack Obama - Jake Tapper, Political Punch
The Friends Of Barack Obama - Jon Henke, The Next Right
Obama & McCain Behind The Scenes - Josh Marshall, TPM
CBS Poll: Obama Beats McCain By Six - DemFromCT, Daily Kos
Sexism, Racism And Political Success - Isaac Chotiner, The Plank
Cornyn Against Climate Change Bill - haystack, RedState
A Senate Fight Over Judges - Jon Henke, The Next Right
Rep. Jefferson's Sister In Trouble - Moe Lane, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Clinton Ready To End Bid And Endorse Obama - New York Times
McCain Proposes 10 Joint Forums - Washington Post
Clinton Unlikely As No. 2 - Wall Street Journal
GOP Roots For Clinton - The Hill

Barack Obama, the newly crowned presumptive Democratic nominee for president, gives a good speech while John McCain gives a bad one, bloggers on both sides agree. Hillary Clinton's speech made clear that she hasn't given up, which bothers bloggers on the left, who want her to endorse the clear winner, but pleases bloggers on the right, who hope that Democratic dissension goes on.

Obama made "graciousness seem rousing" in his victory speech in which he praised both McCain and Clinton and showed his skill in putting people at ease, writes The Plank's David Kusnet, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton. Obama was "fearlessly liberal" in giving a speech that amounted to a "commitment to progressive policy," writes MyDD's Todd Beeton. But while it may have been "beautifully delivered," its passage about a "journey" that would result in better healthcare and more jobs was "gassy nonsense," according to The Corner's Jonah Goldberg.

McCain's speech was roundly panned across the blogosphere. The speech was "defensive" and merely tried to explain why he didn't represent another term for George W. Bush, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall, who adds that McCain has always been bad at giving formal addresses. The speech, which required "formality and forced repetition," wasn't written for someone like McCain, but voters may appreciate the Republican's emphasis on reform, especially when they compare it to Obama's call for "change," writes Yuval Levin at The Corner.

Clinton's address was "incredible" for not conceding that Obama has got a majority of delegates and for including little praise for him, writes The Plank's Jonathan Chait. Clinton is just staying in the race for the money, which she hopes to get from her supporters to pay off her campaign debt, according to kos. Clinton is just staying in the race in case something unusual happens to her rival, a move that that's "transparently Machiavellian," writes Hot Air's Allahpundit. But Clinton and her supporters probably don't like the idea of a woman being ushered out of the race or serving as a second banana to a man, suggests RedState's Jeff Emanuel, who hopes for more Democratic infighting.

In a congressional primary on Tuesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg beat Rep. Rob Andrews for the Democratic nomination for Lautenberg's Senate seat, pleasing liberal bloggers, including Daily Kos's brownsox, who have been critical of Andrews's initial support for President Bush and the Iraq war. And in another Senate battle, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D-Miss.) is virtually tied with Sen. Roger Wicker (R), 47 percent to 46 percent, confirming that the race is competitive despite Mississippi's conservative tilt, writes MyDD's Jonathan Singer.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Reaches For The Brass Ring - Tom Edsall, HuffPo
History - DarkSyde, Daily Kos
Clinton Speechwriter On Obama's Speech - D. Kusnet, The Plank
Obama Commands Respect - Scott Johnson, Power Line
Gassy Nonsense In Obama's Speech - Jonah Goldberg, The Corner
Clinton's Non-Concession - Jonathan Chait, The Plank
Clinton's Stages Of Grief - kos, Daily Kos
L. Davis: Obama Won, Clinton's Got Delegates - J. Orton, MyDD
Neither Obama Nor Clinton Want Her As VP - T. Beeton, MyDD
'Nothing Is Over Until We Decide It!' - P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
McCain's Speech: Frighteningly Sad - Josh Marshall, TPM
Substance And Style Of McCain's Speech - Yuval Levin, The Corner
Dem Fun Not Quite Over - Jeff Emanuel, RedState
Hillary: I Must Rock On A Bit Longer - Allahpundit, Hot Air
More Polling Shows Musgrove-Wicker Race Tight - J. Singer, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Clinches Nomination; 1st Black Cand. To Lead Maj. Party - NYT
Obama Claims Nomination - Washington Post
As McCain Waits, Nominee Will Seek To Unite Dems - USA Today
Left's Cash Crushing Right - The Hill