TOO HARD A BALL  —  Right-Wing Radio yakker crashes and burns like the Hindenburg while trying to talk about appeasement ...

Hypocrisy on Hamas  —  McCain Was for Talking Before He Was Against It  —  If the recent exchanges between President Bush, Barack Obama and John McCain on Hamas and terrorism are a preview of the general election, we are in for an ugly six months.  Despite his reputation in the media …

California Supreme Court Overturns Gay Marriage Ban  —  The California Supreme Court, striking down two state laws that had limited marriages to unions between a man and a woman, ruled on Thursday that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.  —  The 4-to-3 decision …

McCain adviser ousted in conflict uproar  —  John McCain's campaign asked a prominent Republican consultant, Craig Shirley, to leave his official campaign role Thursday after a Politico inquiry about Shirley's dual role consulting for the campaign and for an independent “527” group opposing the Democratic presidential candidates.

Pity Party  —  Big picture, May 2008:  —  The Democrats aren't the ones falling apart, the Republicans are.  The Democrats can see daylight ahead.  For all their fractious fighting, they're finally resolving their central drama.  Hillary Clinton will leave, and Barack Obama will deliver a stirring acceptance speech.

Women Threaten Obama Boycott  —  FROM GUEST-BLOGGER RICK KLEIN, OF ABC'S THE NOTE  —  I've posted a few times in the last two days about female supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton who are angry — at the Democratic Party, at the Obama campaign, or at the general situation that sees …

House Republicans Collapse on Iraq  —  Today, about 100 House Republicans refused to vote for more war funding, voting ‘present’.  They are trying to hand off the war to the Democrats, but even Democrats were able to increase their ‘no’ vote number on funding from 141 to 149; the bill failed.

Clinton defends Obama from Bush  —  Hillary, today in Rapid City, South Dakota, defended Obama from President Bush's apparent comparison of him to Neville Chamberlain, Ken Vogel reports.  —  She told reporters: … “There is a very clear difference between Democrats and Republicans …

Eight Edwards delegates now moving to Obama  —  From CNN Political Producer Peter Hamby, CNN Senior Political Producer Sasha Johnson, CNN's Beth Rotatori  —  (CNN) - At least six of John Edwards' pledged delegates in South Carolina will throw their support to Barack Obama following Edwards' endorsement …

Mom indicted in deadly MySpace hoax  —  LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — A Missouri woman was indicted Thursday for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor who committed suicide.  —  Lori Drew, of suburban St. Louis …

RON PAUL AGAINST UNCONDITIONAL MYANMAR LOVE  —  Tuesday night, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) was the only member of the House of Representatives to vote against resolution conveying “condolences and sympathy” to the people in Myanmar affected by deadly Cyclone Nargis.

McCain Vision Has Most G.I.'s Out of Iraq by 2013  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — Senator John McCain declared on Thursday that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013 and that the nation would be a functioning democracy with only “spasmodic” episodes of violence.