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

Now that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination, bloggers monitor the changing tone on Capitol Hill toward Hillary Clinton, speculate on Obama

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

With Hillary Clinton

Will Hillary Clinton concede? The only thing left to do is wait and see after the Associated Press and the Clinton campaign give differing answers, Liberal bloggers surmise. And the Lieberman-Warner climate bill has dim chances of passing the Senate, conservatives proclaim, as it struggles to attract support from Democrats.

Despite rumors, no one knows what Clinton will say tonight after Barack Obama will likely finalize his delegate lead, TalkLeft

With Barack Obama poised to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, bloggers look back at how the Clintons lost and ahead to how Obama will fare against Republicans. Obama also gets advice over whom he should pick as vice president and McCain hears from bloggers who want him to take a pledge to serve just one presidential term.

Democrats, having had enough of the Clinton dynasty, have turned to Obama, a candidate who shares the "far left" traditions of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D), writes William J. Bennett at The Corner. Bill Clinton again blames his wife's loss partly on the media's coverage, railing against Vanity Fair's Todd Purdum in an interview with the Huffington Post's Mayhill Flower. But while the former president's emotions helped him become the 1990s political master, they have backfired on his wife's campaign and have shown that he is out of touch in the YouTube era, writes TalkingPointsMemo's Josh Marshall.

Obama shouldn't pick Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) or a conservative Democrat since he needs women voters disappointed by Hillary Clinton's loss, writes Natasha Chart at MyDD. McCain should engage women voters, especially those who are white and have lower incomes, by holding more high-profile events with female surrogates like Carly Fiorina, according to The Next Right's Soren Dayton. McCain might win more support from Clinton supporters who are moving on to the 2012 campaign if he pledges to serve just one term, writes RedState's Ben Domenech. For Obama to beat McCain, the media can't let the Republican get away with his "phony reputation as a maverick," writes Arianna Huffington, who has started the John McCain News Hunt at the Huffington Post.

In Congress, it's no surprise that Democrats like the cap-and-trade climate change bill since it seeks to expand government, but that's no reason for McCain to support it, writes Power Line's Paul Mirengoff. Democrats, however, have a chance to pick up another House seat in a conservative district in California, where Democrat Charlie Brown leads Republican opponents in the race to succeed Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), retiring while under investigation for links to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, notes MyDD's dday.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Dems: My Old Party - William J. Bennett, The Corner
The Coming Superdelegate Deluge - kos, Daily Kos
Bad If Demography Is Destiny? - Josh Patashnik, The Plank
Bill Clinton: Purdum A 'Sleazy' 'Slimy' 'Scumbag - M. Flower, HuffPo
Bill: Out Of His Element - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Veepstakes: Please No Webb, DINOs - Natasha Chart, MyDD
Can McCain Appeal To Disaffected Women? - S. Dayton, Next Right
Hillary For VP, Or For '12? - Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
'Protestors' At RBC Meeting - DHinMI, Daily Kos
Obama Sought 'Radical' New Party Endosement - Erickson, RedState
John McCain News Hunt - A. Huffington, Huffington Post
McCain's One-Term Pledge - Ben Domenech, RedState
Re: Talking To Iran - Mark R. Levin, The Corner
Fieger Acquitted - Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
CA-04: Brown Leads GOP Opponents - dday, MyDD
Cap/Trade Hard For Dems To Resist - Paul Mirengoff, Power Line

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Is Poised To Clinch Victory - Washington Post
Kennedy Surgery Called A Success - USA Today
Obama Pushes Effort To Claim Victory Tonight - New York Times
Holdouts Ready To Choose - The Hill

Word that Hillary Clinton may drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination has caught fire among bloggers as conflicting evidence competes for attention on a minute-by-minute basis. But while speculation on Clinton dominates, a new development in the still unraveling Jack Abramoff controversy has yet another Republican congressman caught in a web that continues to poison the GOP with voters.

Bill Clinton planted the seed by saying today could be his last day on the campaign trail, and The Huffington Post

Hillary Clinton is fudging her math to claim she has won the popular vote among Democrats, liberal bloggers charge, while conservatives pounce on new video of former Barack Obama pastor Rev. Michael Pfleger. Well wishes for Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) as he undergoes brain surgery and economic concerns over the Lieberman-Warner climate bill also draw discussion.

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