memeorandum: Alcee Hastings To Boycott Convention Due to FL Delegate Travesty (Big Tent Democrat/TalkLeft)

11:20 PM ET, May 31, 2008

Top Items:

Obama resigns from controversial church — (CNN) — Barack Obama resigned Saturday from his Chicago church — where controversial sermons by his former pastor and other ministers had created repeated political headaches for the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination — his campaign confirmed.

Discussion: Newshoggers.com, Washington Wire, New York Times, Redstate, Liberal Values, Althouse, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Political Machine, Sweetness & Light, RADAMISTO and race42008.com

CNN:

Obama resigns from controversial church — (CNN) — Sen. Barack Obama said Saturday that he has resigned from the church where controversial sermons by his former pastor and other ministers created repeated political headaches for the Democratic frontrunner.

Discussion: TownHall Blog, baldilocks, Roger L. Simon, Open Left and MyDD

John McCormick / Baltimore Sun:

Obama leaving Trinity United church — Sen. Barack Obama is leaving Trinity United Church of Christ, his longtime religious home in Chicago and a place that has triggered repeated controversies during his presidential bid. — Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt has confirmed Obama is essentially resigning from the church.

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™, Pam's House Blend, Sister Toldjah, NO QUARTER, TalkLeft, Corrente, TIME.com, PoliGazette and Flopping Aces

Jeff Zeleny / The Caucus:

Obama Quits His Church — WASHINGTON - Senator Barack Obama is ending his membership at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, a congregation he has belonged to for about two decades and one that had become a lightening rod in his Democratic presidential bid.

Discussion: Balloon Juice

Monroe Anderson:

Wright out or wimp out? Obama quits Trinity — In the wake of the Father Michael Pfleger — controversial sermon last Sunday at Trinity United Church of Christ, Barack Obama sent a letter yesterday resigning from his place of worship for the past 20 years. — I sort of, kind of, understand why he did it.

Discussion: Gateway Pundit, Salon, Stubborn Facts and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Lynn Sweet:

Obama resigns from Trinity United Church of Christ. UPDATE. Obama to answer questions about his church Saturday night. — WASHINGTON—UPDATE—Obama spokesman Bill Burton confirmed that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) quit Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ.

Discussion: AMERICAblog, Commentary, Spin Cycle, Taylor Marsh and The Reaction

Peter Wehner / The Corner:

Changes — Barack Obama's resignation from Trinity United Church of Christ over, in part, “a cultural and a stylistic gap” raises additional doubts about him. The obvious question is what “cultural and stylistic gap” exists now that hasn't existed during the last two decades …

Discussion: THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Chicago Tribune:
Pfleger puts Obama in unwelcome spot again

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Obama leaves Trinity

Discussion: Cogitamus and CNN

Byron York / The Corner:
Report: Obama Quits Trinity

Discussion: Hot Air and Ed Driscoll.com

Fox News:
Obama Resigns Church Membership in Chicago

Discussion: Don Surber and FREEDOM EDEN

DrewM / Ace of Spades HQ:
Obama Resigns His Church Membership

Discussion: Stop The ACLU

Tom Raum / Associated Press: Obama quits Chicago church after long controversy

Zzaki / Political Radar:
Obama Quits His Church

Discussion: The Trail, Commentary, Jack and Jill Politics and Political Punch

The New Republic:

Scenes From Today's RBC Hillary Protest — Howard Dean may hope that the “healing will begin today,” but two blocks away from the northwest Washington Marriott where the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee is meeting right now to try to figure out Florida and Michigan, the Hillary protesters …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Political Carnival, Liberal Values, The Mahablog, Oliver Willis, Washington Monthly, Wonkette, The Carpetbagger Report and Marc Ambinder

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:

Lanny Davis Loses His Cool On DNC Member — stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust buzz up — A brief but spittle-filled shouting match broke out in the halls of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee hearing on Saturday between a committee member and a surrogate for Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Discussion: Firedoglake, The Field, Gateway Pundit, Booman Tribune and Threat Level

Jaketapper / Political Punch:

A Clinton Hurricane Hits Outside the DNC Hearing Room — There was a tornado watch outside the Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting at the Marriot Wardman Park Hotel Saturday afternoon. And there was a brewing storm inside the hotel as well.

Discussion: AMERICAblog and Dean's World

Avi Zenilman / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Dean's remarks — “We are going to nominate eithe rthe …

Discussion: The Swamp

Sam Stein / The Huffington Post:
Sources: DNC Florida Compromise Reached, Michigan Hangs In Balance

Discussion: Threat Level, American Street, Wonkette, Political Radar, Associated Press, Liberal Values, Firedoglake, Marc Ambinder, The Field, Wake up America, MyDD, Ben Smith's Blogs, TPM Election Central, Sister Toldjah, The Reaction, Washington Wire, The Moderate Voice and The Swamp

Marc Ambinder:

RBC Live Wire 7: Clinton Nets 24 Delegates — Clinton nets 24 delegates out of the day. — A Democratic official close to Sen. Carl Levin says: “He is pleased they have made progress over where they were this morning. He is confident that the full delegation will be seated with full voting rights at the convention.”

Discussion: TalkLeft, Firedoglake, Liberal Values, Newshoggers.com, AMERICAblog, The Democratic Daily, The Daily Dish, culturekitchen and Obsidian Wings

Michael Falcone / The Caucus:

D.N.C. Cuts Fla., Mich. Votes in Half — Rules Wrap Up: After a nearly 10-hour marathon meeting of the Democratic party's rules committee, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton came away with a total of 24 more pledged delegates, but today's decisions on the seating of Florida and Michigan delegates fell far short …

Discussion: TIME.com, Redstate, Lance Mannion, The Nation and The Democratic Daily

Avi Zenilman / Ben Smith's Blogs:
50% version of the Michigan solution passes 19-8

Discussion: New York Times

Big Tent Democrat / TalkLeft:

Alcee Hastings To Boycott Convention Due to FL Delegate Travesty — I do not blame him. Florida got the shaft today. Part of Rep. Hastings' statement: … Me neither. Course, I was not going anyway, but now I am joining Hastings' protest. And like Hastings, I will fight for the Democratic nominee in November anyway:

Beth Reinhard / Naked Politics: Hastings boycotting Democratic convention

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Clinton Supporter Ejected From Rules Meeting, “McCain Will Be Our Next President” — Things grew increasingly contentious toward the end of the Rules Committee meeting, and a Clinton supporter — who identified herself as Harriet Christian — was ejected from the room.

Discussion: The Jed Report

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:
Clinton Supporter Shows Bruises She Received Being Ejected From Meeting

Discussion: Flopping Aces

Domenico Montanaro / MSNBC:

QUOTE OF THE DAY — From NBC's Domenico Montanaro — “My momma taught me to play by the rules and respect those rules. My mother taught me, and I'm sure your mother taught you, that when you decide change the rules, middle of the game, end of the game, that is referred to as cheatin.'” …

Marc Ambinder:

RBC Live Wire 6: The Deliberations — 6:00: Even the cognoscenti are being kept in the dark. Florida Dem Party chair Karen Thurman is visiting the press corps. She has no special info about the delay in resuming public deliberations. — 5:54: Uh-oh. Rep. Robert Wexler has taken his sportcoat off.

Discussion: Salon and Redstate

Eric Pianin / The Fix: Obama and Clinton Allies Vigorously Debate Seating of Delegates

New York Times:

No Road Map for Democrats as Race Ends — The big drama now facing the Democratic Party in the presidential contest are how, when and even whether Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will depart the race. — The contest is coming to a close as Puerto Rico votes on Sunday and Montana and South Dakota …

Discussion: Don Surber and TIME.com