Josh Benson

tomscocca (9:40:01 PM): How come Mitt Romney showing up in Denver means GOP Serious About Attacking Obama rather than Despised Has-Been Begs for Attention?

Kornacki recalls that Hillary Clinton once played an important unifying role at a Democratic convention.

Dan Janison has an aggressively skeptical reaction to the “keep-Mike-relevant campaign.” [Spin Cycle]

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness has launched a radio ad urging the governor to get in touch with his “inner progressive” on taxing rich people. [Liz]

Some voters are tired of hearing so much about Barack Obama. [Ben]

Sargent and Kleefeld would like to hear more about a McCain bundler with a complicated oil-trading arrangement. [TPM]

Choire questions the thinking behind a new Hollywood-centric group blog for non-liberals. [Radar]

That John Edwards story is “sneaking in through the cracks.” [Gawker]

There may be a reason for Chuck Schumer to concern himself with the Indiana governor's race. [James Pindell] 

Obama 46, McCain 41. [The Page]

One thing you would never have called John McCain before this summer, if you’re in the business of commenting on politics, was a weakling.  read more »

He’s the war hero who refused to break under enemy torture, an avowed sports fan, a tough truth talker and a political risk taker. In the past decade or so that the Arizona senator has spent as a fixture on the national political scene, he’s come across as exceptionally blunt, and even enjoyed a rather prolonged affair with the press for his fidelity to his own opinion. There have been criticisms, sure. But most could be reinterpreted as compliments: for headstrong, read resilient; for loose cannon, read maverick.

More from Niall:

Jeanne Shaheen has just appeared. She said that "divine intervention" produced a tied vote (107 votes each) between Clinton and Obama here in Unity.

She congratulated herself for maintaining neutrality during primary and also claimed solidarity with Hillary Clinton in frustration over press coverage concerning "what you're wearing or what your hairstyle is." Hillary, she said, is "a trailblazer who makes us all proud." Obama is "our amazing Democratic nominee."

UPDATE:

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch stepped up and asked the crowd if they want a president who will improve health care, change the ways of Washington, provide better education and unite all of us.  read more »

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Niall Stanage BlackBerrys a couple of pre-event observations from Unity, N.H.:

The atmosphere ahead of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's joint appearance is part political rally, part country fair.

The sun is warm, the open-air venue is pretty and, at present, a local band is playing (winning political kudos for including "This Land Is Your Land" in its set). It smells like hot dogs and hamburgers.

One problem: the lines of people still outside are perhaps a half-mile long, calling the rumored 1 p.m. start time into some serious doubt.

One of the people outside is Bucky Demers, a 42-year-old mechanic and car race veteran. He has found a high-visibility spot for his race car, which is festooned with pro-Obama slogans and logos like "Change We Can Believe In" and "Yes We Can.  read more »

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Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will appear together at a unity event in Unity, New Hampshire.

Clinton asks supporters to go "back to Hillary Clinton.com" to help her retire campaign debt.

The Obama campaign kept tabs on the performance of their field staff through online questionnaires.

Neither Obama nor John McCain is spending much, relatively speaking, on online advertising.

A terrorist attack on America would be "a big advantage" to McCain, says McCain adviser Charlie Black.

Dorothy Wickenden wants less equivocation from Obama and more audacity.

The Chicago Tribune reminds readers that Obama is a product of the Chicago machine, and that he "has compiled an eclectic blend of Illinois political friends."

A big German paper finds the nuclear-power component of McCain's energy propsal more interesting than the offshore drilling.

Choire says the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the complaint of Atlantic Yards-affected homeowners is "enough to make anyone into a wackjob libertarian."

Stephen Colbert will host a Partnership for Public Service event honoring Ray Kelly.

Andrew Cuomo is almost 5-for-5 in passed legislation.

Liz compiles an impressively comprehensive-looking "brief rundown" of possible replacements for Frank Powers in the 13th CD.

Chuck Schumer and Sergey Brin cut the ribbon, with a giant pair of scissors, on Google's new offices in Chelsea Market.

Schumer defends Barack Obama's decision to opt out of the public financing program.

Micah Sifry talks to Arianna Huffington about transparency.

An attendee at a convention of Democratic women in Pennsylvania says she's not sure who she'll vote for in the general.

Rudy Giuliani reportedly rallies support for a fire station in Maidenhead, England.

In the comments section, George Smiley hints that it's time for Vito Fossella to return.

Isac gets a vote from a YouTube fan.

Rob Harding doesn't think David Paterson is making it easier for Democrats to take over the State Senate.

Michael Bouldin says that Congress members behind on their DCCC dues should pay up.

1199 SEIU backs Hiram Monserrate in his noncompetitive State Senate race.

From Observer contributor Em Whitney:

Brooklyn’s Hasidic community was well represented last night at the Polonaise Terrace in Greenpoint, where the Seneca Club – the borough’s oldest Democratic organization -- held its 109th annual dinner dance. During an awards ceremony, I sat at the kosher table and talked to some of the attendees about presidential politics.

“It’s sad that Hillary’s not in the race anymore,” said Simcha Eichenstein, the associate director of political and governmental services at The Friedlander Group. “She was the best remaining candidate of the final three. But when it comes to our issues, Obama could be very good.”

He went on to list Obama’s presidential qualities and the liberal policies that Eichenstein said put Obama in line with Democrats in Hasidic community, pausing only briefly to express a familiar reservation: “He could have more of a stance on Israel.”

“I wish I could vote for Hillary,” he concluded.

Another Hasidic attendee, who didn’t want to be named, said, “As Democrats, we now have to be unified behind the Democratic candidate, but it’s not so good because [Clinton] is a senator from our neighborhood. We felt that she had a better understanding of our needs.”

Better, he explained, than others: “We have more access to her than we do Schumer.”

Shortly after Hillary Clinton gave her historic concession speech at the National Building Museum in Washington, she asked Representative Eliot Engel—one of two members of New York’s House delegation to make the trip down—for a bit of feedback.

“She asked me if I thought it would help in getting her people to support Obama, and I said I thought it would,” Mr. Engel recalled. “And then she said, ‘Tell the media.’”  read more »

WASHINGTON, June 7—The cavernous National Building Museum wasn’t quite packed to capacity—the couple of thousand Clinton supporters in attendance were bunched up near the stage and behind it, in camera shot, and along the second- and third-story terraces overlooking the floor.

But the turnout was nonetheless impressive. Many of the spectators had traveled a long way to be there, on a sweltering weekend day, to witness something they hoped they’d never see: the end of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.  read more »

A reader forwards a talking-points email sent by the Hillary Clinton campaign about her plans to announce support for Barack Obama on Saturday:

TALKING POINTS FOR JUNE 7TH EVENT

 

* On Saturday, Hillary will host an event to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity.

* During the event, Hillary will praise Senator Obama and the campaign he has run.

* We all look forward to seeing her and hearing her message on Saturday.

* Originally announced to be held on Friday, the event was moved to Saturday to accommodate the desire by many supporters to attend who work during the week and wanted to include their families.

The reader also sent along a separate email from Clinton to supporters thanking them and explaining her reasons for "acting to rally the party behind Senator Obama."

Dear ,

 

I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign. Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

 read more »

From Choire, who seems to have some time on his hands:

Glenn Thrush looks tense! Ben Smith looks engrossed! Candy Crowley looks lost! I think Andrea Peyser got online! Jeff Zeleny is reading the blogs on his internets! HRC expected at 8:45.

From Choire Sicha at Baruch College:

Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, a national Clinton campaign co-chair, just talked to a few reporters. The language was extraordinary. "There may be an announcement tonight," she said. And: "She's finished on a high note."

She praised Clinton and Obama's campaigns in the same terms. ("Two historic figures.") "She's been victorious all the way," she said.

Then everyone ran for the stairway where cell phones work.

Clinton is expected at 9 p.m. Quite possibly later. We think she hasn't left the house yet.

Hillary Clinton discusses her crime-fighting plan in West Philadelphia. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Paul Begala voices his “contempt” for Mark Penn. [HuffingtonPost]  read more »

From intern Matt Townsend on Fifth Avenue:

There are about 40 members of the media here outside Eliot Spitzer's apartment building. Three sets of police baricades are set up just off the driveway entrance to the building. There are five satelite trucks parked within a block of the building.

A CBS cameraman said he arrived at 4:30 a.m. and that there were only a handful of reporters on overnight watch. Some of the media on stakeout duty thought that Spitzer would come out around 9 a.m., but he still hadn't left the building as of 10:30 a.m.

Harold Ickes wants it known that Barack Obama is the front-runner. [Marc Ambinder]

Bill Clinton says it's Texas and Ohio or else. [Political Radar]

Birnbaum asks: "How much longer?" [JustHillary]  read more »

Jason Horowitz talks to some Clinton fund-raisers about the architecture of the campaign’s attack strategy on Barack Obama, talking-points and all. Among other things, campaign staffers sent out (from personal email addresses) a blog post suggesting that Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick hasn’t lived up to his campaign rhetoric since getting into office, and neither would Obama.

Clinton surrogate Bob Kerrey doesn’t seem to like the strategy very much at all.  read more »

Bob Kerrey, a Hillary Clinton supporter, is not on board with the Michigan-and-Florida-delegate tactic. [The Villager]

Christine Pelosi, a daughter of Nancy and a superdelegate, thinks a squabble between the Clinton and Obama campaigns over debates is “dumb.” [Huffington Post]  read more »

John Koblin meets twins who blog, discovers that a Ron Paul party distracted Times reporters on deadline, and witnesses an interesting moment involving Hillary Clinton, Bill O’Reilly and a girl with red hair.

Choire talks to some Paul revolutionaries.

Choire watches Mike Huckabee talk about Arabs, sand, "illegals" and prostitutes. And Chuck Norris.

The Mets lost today by the score of 8-1, missing the postseason after having led their division by 7 games with 17 to play.

I know this to be true because I was at Shea Stadium to see it. Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to believe that any professional baseball team—let alone one that spent nearly the entire season in first place—could end its year in such spectacularly poor fashion.  read more »

Phil Rizzuto, the former MVP Yankee shortstop and baseball commentator, died today at the age of 89.  read more »

Seen as Prelude to ’08, ‘Although My Plans For Future Haven’t Changed’.  read more »

As part of the launch of the new Observer website, there’s going to be a slight change in comments policy here.

Bad news first: readers will be required to go through a one-time registration before they can comment. The registration requires a username--which can be anything--and an email address, which is used to send secure automated responses to users when they do things like change their password. This won’t prevent anyone from commenting anonymously, and we won't see or use your email address for anything that's not a service you ask for specifically.

The good news is that there’s going to be more stuff to comment on: the Politicker and the other blogs, as before, but also the stories and columns in each week’s paper as well as the web-only features that we’re going to start posting a lot more frequently.

The new system will make us much better at weeding out spam – the sort of stuff that slows things down for everyone.

And to the extent that the registration process has a chilling effect on the very small number of readers who visit the site to post poop-and-fart jokes about the subjects of our coverage (and other commenters, and random staffers, and people we’ve never heard of) we’re prepared to live with it.

But enough about us…  read more »

Sort of.  read more »