memeorandum: Hamas unendorses Obama after speech to pro-Israel lobby (David Alexander/Tales from the Trail)

12:20 AM ET, June 5, 2008

Top Items:

Clinton Will Drop Out of Presidential Race — Barack Obama Captures Nomination After Intense Democratic Fight — It's over. — Sen. Hillary Clinton will drop out of the presidential race on Friday, ending her historic bid for the White House and ceding the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, ABC News has learned.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blogs, Talking Points Memo, Political Machine, Comments from Left Field, Wizbang, The Democratic Daily, Hot Air, Gateway Pundit, Tom Watson, MyDD, Liberal Values and Wonkette

Adam Nagourney / The Caucus:

Clinton to Suspend Campaign, Endorse Obama — Updated | 10 p.m. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will endorse Senator Barack Obama on Saturday, bringing a close to her campaign for the White House, aides said. Her decision came after Democrats urged her Wednesday to leave the race and allow the party to coalesce around Mr. Obama.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Crooks and Liars, Newshoggers.com, CNN, The Stump, Jack and Jill Politics, Taylor Marsh, The Field, NewsBusters.org, The Impolitic, JammieWearingFool, PoliBlog (TM), Donklephant and LiberalOasis

Jonathan Freedland / Guardian:

Carter tells Obama: don't pick Clinton — Barack Obama should not pick Hillary Clinton as his vice-presidential nominee, former president Jimmy Carter has told the Guardian. — “I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made,” said Carter. “That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates.”

Discussion: Political Machine, Top of the Ticket, Ben Smith's Blogs and American Street

Hilary Rosen / The Huffington Post:

I Am Not a Bargaining Chip, I Am a Democrat — Senator Clinton's speech last night was a justifiably proud recitation of her accomplishments over the course of this campaign, but it did not end right. She didn't do what she should have done. As hard and as painful as it might have been …

Discussion: Portfolio.com, The Caucus, The Democratic Daily, BlueOregon, Pam's House Blend, MyDD, AMERICAblog and The Bilerico Project

Greg Wallace / Political Radar:

Rangel: Clinton should get on with it — ABC News' Kate Snow Reports: One of Hillary Clinton's most loyal backers on Capitol Hill is voicing frustration about the position she has put her supporters in. — In an interview with ABC News, Rep. Charles Rangel said he thinks it is time for Clinton …

Discussion: The Hill's Blog Briefing Room

Ed OKeefe / Political Radar:
Clinton Says Goodbye to Campaign Staffers

Discussion: TIME.com, THE GUN TOTING LIBERAL™ and Spin Cycle

Daniel W. Reilly / The Crypt's Blogs:
Obama talks with Clinton, Lieberman

Discussion: New York Times, The Swamp and Wake up America

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Congressional Clinton backers mull letter to Obama

Discussion: Marc Ambinder, Tales from the Trail, The Carpetbagger Report, Daily Kos and AMERICAblog

CNN:
Can Obama afford to say no to Clinton?

Discussion: TalkLeft

ABCNEWS:
Clinton to Concede Race to Obama Friday

Discussion: The Caucus, Swampland and Wake up America

The Raw Story:
IT'S OFFICIAL: CLINTON TO EXIT Will express support for Obama, party unity

Discussion: The Swamp, TalkLeft, The Belmont Club and Pam's House Blend

Dan Balz / The Trail:
Clinton's Vice Presidential Campaign

Discussion: Real Clear Politics, TPM Election Central, The Moderate Voice, AMERICAblog, Liberal Values, Political Punch, Balloon Juice, Hot Air and The Jed Report

Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Caroline Kennedy to lead Obama's veep search

Discussion: The Field, The Corner, Baltimore Sun, Commentary, The Plank and TPM Election Central

Chicago Tribune:

Rezko convicted of corruption — A federal jury today convicted developer Antoin “Tony” Rezko of corruption charges for trading on his clout as a top adviser and fundraiser to Gov. Rod Blagojevich. — Rezko's guilty verdict on 16 of 24 corruption counts could have broad repercussions for Blagojevich …

Discussion: Pajamas Media, The Swamp, The Trail, Hot Air, TIME.com, michellemalkin.com, NO QUARTER, Rhymes With Right, Flopping Aces, The American Mind, Wake up America, On Deadline, Wonkette and Don Surber

Jeralyn / TalkLeft:
Rezko Guilty Verdict: The Relevance

Discussion: myfoxchicago.com and Rezko Watch

New York Times:
Ex-Obama Fund-Raiser Is Convicted of Fraud

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Hindrocket / Power Line:
THE MOST WILDLY INAPPROPRIATE STATEMENT EVER?

Discussion: Fox News, The American Mind and PrestoPundit

Natasha Korecki / Chicago Sun Times:
Rezko found guilty on 16 charges, not guilty on 8

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, The Belmont Club and Eye on Rezko

WBBM-TV:
Jury Finds Tony Rezko Guilty On 16 Of 24 Charges

Discussion: NewsBusters.org

Hilary Bok / Washington Monthly:

HISTORY... I didn't support Barack Obama because of his race. I didn't need to: I just thought he was the best candidate by far, mostly for wonky reasons. (I started down the road to supporting Obama when I read this sentence from a Washington Monthly article: “On the campaign trail in 2004 …

Discussion: Eschaton

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

TPMTV: MCCAIN LEAVES FOX SPEECHLESS — If you were awful enough to delight in John McCain's prebuttal speech trainwreck last night, feast your eyes on the Fox News commentators trying to decide if it was just bad or downright terrible ... (Speaking personally, this episode is one you simply do not want to miss.)

Discussion: New York Magazine and skippy the bush kangaroo

Sommer Mathis / DCist:

Police to Seal Off D.C. Neighborhoods — Can you say Police State? The Examiner has the scoop on a controversial new program announced today that would create so-called “Neighborhood Safety Zones” which would serve to partially seal off certain parts of the city.

Discussion: The Raw Story, Megan McArdle and Newshoggers.com

Examiner:
Lanier plans to seal off rough 'hoods in latest effort to stop wave of violence

Discussion: The Agitator

HillBuzz:

What's on the Michelle Obama Rant Tape? — NOTE: Here's what's known so far. We will update this thread as new information comes in. As we have repeated several times, we have never seen the Michelle Obama Rant Tape ourselves — we started researching this about 4 weeks ago …

Discussion: NO QUARTER, Atlas Shrugs, The Volokh Conspiracy, The Campaign Spot, Confederate Yankee, No More Mister Nice Blog, American Power, Flopping Aces, Stop The ACLU and Wake up America

Matt Lewis / TownHall Blog:

McCain's Blogger Call Gets Slightly Heated ... I just finished up a conference call with Sen. John McCain, which became heated at times. — When Quin Hillyer of The Examiner noted the perception that some conservatives believe McCain has been disrespectful to them in the past …

Discussion: The Campaign Spot, Hot Air, American Spectator, Lonewacko, Marc Ambinder and Whiskey Fire

David Alexander / Tales from the Trail:

Hamas unendorses Obama after speech to pro-Israel lobby — WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have taken care of his Hamas problem onWednesday with a speech to the AIPAC pro-Israel lobby. — The Illinois senator was ridiculed, criticized and generally harassed …

Discussion: The Caucus, Hot Air, Sister Toldjah, Gateway Pundit, Marc Ambinder, Liberal Values, Capitol Briefing and Political Punch

CBS News:

CBS Poll: Obama Leads McCain — Obama Ahead By Six Points; But Many Clinton Voters Plan To Back McCain — (CBS) Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama holds a six point lead over his Republican counterpart John McCain, a new CBS News poll finds. Obama leads McCain 48 percent …

Discussion: Daily Kos and TPM Election Central

Jill Lawless / Associated Press:

Excitement about Obama spreads around the world — LONDON (AP) — Excitement about Barack Obama emerged as a global phenomenon Wednesday as commentators and citizens around the world welcomed the news that he had sealed the Democratic presidential nomination.

Discussion: Commentary and GINA COBB

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Obama Campaign Will Use Six Consulting ‘Teams’ — Less than 24 hours after securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama is putting in place six teams of campaign consultants that will handle advertising, polling and direct-mail efforts for the general election campaign.

Discussion: TIME.com, Ben Smith's Blogs and Atlas Shrugs

Martin Kady II / The Crypt's Blogs:

Not that anyone's watching, but the Senate has shut down — Overshadowed by the hype of Barack Obama's victory lap on the Senate floor today is a simmering dispute between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell over President Bush's remaining judicial nominees.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Daily Kos, The Next Right, Wonk Room and Think Progress