The Democrats' Glass Ceiling  —  So Hillary Clinton gets about 18 million votes in 2008, and isn't even considered for—she apparently isn't even given the courtesy of being consulted—the vice presidential pick.  Joe Biden manages to persuade a few thousand (if that) Iowans to support him.

Some in Clinton circle ‘outraged’  —  (CNN) — Evan as Hillary Clinton praised the newly-minted Democratic presidential ticket Saturday, some in her circle are furious Barack Obama did not appear to give the New York Democrat serious consideration for the No. 2 spot, or even ask for her consultation on the matter.

Brooding on Biden  —  Share This: Digg!  —  Okay, I just arrived to Jerri's house, driving from Owl Farm through a massive rain storm through the Rocky Mountains.  —  Yes, I've been brooding about our new VP candidate.  The only people I've seen doing back flips over the Biden affair are Joe Biden and John McCain.

The 3:00 AM Text Message  —  Carl Cameron was just saying on FNC that some Dems think the 3:00 AM text message announcing the Biden pick might have been a veiled thwack at Hillary for her “3:00 AM ad.”  The guys as First Read also noted the timing of the message, though they don't suggest it's deliberate.

McCain Counters With...  Romney, of course.  The same factors in Romney's favor — pull in Michigan, Nevada, Colorado and New Hampshire, the energy brought by his organization— are still there, but the pick of Biden calls for a very experienced debater as the only thing Slow Joe …

Some Comic Relief And A Real Problem  —  Share This: Digg!  —  Provided by Frank Rich: … Of course, Rich is so for Obama, that he hurts him like this: … Relatedly, Todd Beeton provides an interesting anecdote from Denver: … It is this arrogance that could sink Obama's campaign.

Obama-Biden 2008  —  I have now watched and read Senator Biden's speech in Springfield earlier today.  From the perspective of the craft of speechwriting, it was quite a thing to behold.  —  In a speech of just over 16 minutes, Biden used, by my count, the phrase “ladies and gentlemen” 18 times.

What Does This Really Tell Us?  —  Leaving aside all the necessary gaming of how this affects the election, what does the selection of Biden tell us about Obama's potential decision-making as president?  This is the second big decision of the national campaign (the first was opting out of public financing).

The Veep's Pipeline Push  —  From the magazine issue dated Sep 1, 2008  —  A two-year-old letter by Vice President Dick Cheney that pushed a controversial Alaska natural-gas pipeline bill is getting renewed scrutiny because of recently disclosed evidence in the Justice Department's corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens.

RACISM IS THE ONLY REASON MCCAIN MIGHT BEAT HIM.  —  What with the Bush legacy of reckless war and economic mismanagement, 2008 is a year that favors the generic Democratic candidate over the generic Republican one.  Yet Barack Obama, with every natural and structural advantage in the presidential race …

U. of C. shunning poor patients?  —  Sen. Barack Obama's wife and three close advisers have been involved with a program at the University of Chicago Medical Center that steers patients who don't have private insurance — primarily poor, black people — to other health care facilities.