Top Items:
CNN:
Republicans begin to highlight Clinton's criticism of Obama — NEW YORK (CNN) - Hours before the polls closed Tuesday in the final two Democratic presidential primaries, the Republican National Committee began circulating a video of Hillary Clinton questioning Barack Obama's qualifications …
RELATED:
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
FRIGHTENINGLY SAD — Here at TPM HQ we're watching John McCain's prebuttal to Sen. Obama's speech tonight. — And, man, I'm curious to hear what other people think, but I really feel like he would have served himself much better by just going to ground for the evening.
RELATED:
Marc Ambinder:
Thoughts About Obama's Speech — What a different emotional register from John McCain's; Obama seems on the verge of tears; the enormous crowd in the Xcel center seems ready to lift Obama on its shoulders; the much smaller audience for McCain's speech interrupted his remarks with stilted cheers.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
This Moment — If I needed reassurance that this man is the most formidable force in American politics today, his speech tonight confirmed it. It was shrewd - with an artful positioning on Iraq. It was graceful - with respect for McCain's service and Clinton's tenacity.
Drudge Report:
EXCLUSIVE: MCCAIN SPEECH TONIGHT: THE GENERAL ELECTION BEGINS — John McCain will launch his general election campaign against Barack Obama tonight at 9:00 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In a speech that will praise Senator Clinton for her “tenacity and courage,” McCain will recognize Obama as the Democratic party's presumptive nominee.
Associated Press:
Text of Obama's speech Tuesday … Text of Democrat Barack Obama's prepared remarks for a rally on Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., as released by his campaign: — Tonight, after 54 hard-fought contests, our primary season has finally come to an end. — Sixteen months have passed since …
RELATED:
Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:
Obama Claims Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket
Obama Claims Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket
Associated Press:
AP tally: Obama effectively clinches nomination
AP tally: Obama effectively clinches nomination
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Ben Smith's Blogs, The Raw Story, Marc Ambinder, Gateway Pundit, TalkLeft, Comments from Left Field, Wake up America, Lonewacko, Macleans.ca Blog Central, American Street, Outside The Beltway, New York Magazine, The Carpetbagger Report, The Democratic Daily, Cliff Schecter, TownHall Blog, American Spectator and Sister Toldjah
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Clintons Threaten — The speech tonight was a remarkable one for a candidate who has lost the nomination, though not remarkable for a Clinton. It was an assertion that she had won the nomination and a refusal to concede anything to her opponent. Classless, graceless, shameless, relentless.
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Pawlenty: McCain will compete for Clinton backers — John McCain portrayed her as a trailblazing model for aspring female politicians yesterday and now one of his top surrogates and vice-presidential prospects is taking the next natural step and promising that they'll compete for Hillary Clinton's supporters.
Discussion:
Political Radar, Happy Furry Puppy Story …, The Politico, Wizbang, Donklephant, Daily Kos and Dean's World
RELATED:
Matthew Yglesias:
Clinton's Speech — I probably shouldn't write any more about this woman and her staff. Suffice it to say that I've found her behavior over the past couple of months to be utterly unconscionable and this speech is no different. I think if I were to try to express how I really feel …
Kara Spak / Chicago Sun Times:
Cardinal removes Pfleger from St. Sabina parish — The firebrand pastor of St. Sabina parish was removed from his duties there Tuesday, according to a statement released by the Archdiocese of Chicago. — In the statement, Cardinal Francis George says he asked the Rev. Michael Pfleger …
Discussion:
WBBM-TV, Wake up America, Political Machine, Gateway Pundit, protein wisdom, JammieWearingFool and michellemalkin.com
The Corner:
McCain Tonight [Mark R. Levin] — Not to offend those who might be offended, but this speech is a mash and tough to digest. You have to get through the self-congratulatory praise of independence and commander-in-chief pose from the Senate, then you have to try to follow the inconsistency …
Frank Phillips / Boston Globe:
Ogonowski's challenge to Kerry collapses; challenger misses signature mark — Ogonowski drew attention for his campaign against Niki Tsongas, but failed to collect enough signatures. — In a major embarrassment to Republican leaders in Massachusetts and in the U.S. Senate, Jim Ogonowski …
Discussion:
Reason Magazine, The Crypt's Blogs, Liberty Street, Liberal Values and Swing State Project
SteveK / TVNewser:
“Russert Has Spent 20 Years Building Credibility. All Of A Sudden He's Taking Questions From [A] Daily Kos Blogger?” — Tonight may be the last of the primaries, but the discussion of the cable news coverage will no doubt continue for months to come. MSNBC has bore the brunt of much of the criticism …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
FRIGHTENINGLY SAD — NOW ON VIDEO! — We've had a lot of requests for Sen. McCain's already-legendarily awful prebuttal to Obama speech. And here it is ... After much consideration, we've decided that tomorrow's episode of TPMtv will simply have to be a round-up of all the pundit response to the McCain trainwreck.
Discussion:
The Anonymous Liberal
Rick Hills / PrawfsBlawg:
Why I am an anti-intellectual — I am sorry to have offended Professor Heller with what I took to be a lighthearted gibe at Judith Butler. Although my assessment of her stuff is basically the same as Martha Nussbaum's, I am happy to attribute my mystification at her language …
Discussion:
The Debate Link