McCain’s campaign manager’s firm lobbied for client with Iran ties

Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager’s lobbying, has worked on issues for a Ukrainian billionaire with ties to Iran. A McCain campaign spokesman said that Davis did not work on the account himself.

Paper: Obama to offer Clinton cabinet position in exchange for dignified exit from race

The Telegraph, a British newspaper, is running a piece that says the Obama campaign is putting together a package that would offer Senator Clinton the chance to be health and human services secretary in the Obama administration, which would allow her to continue to work for healthcare reform. Additionally, the Obama campaign would help the Clinton campaign pay off its debt. In exchange, Senator Clinton would drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination for president. It should be noted that no US media outlet is reporting this story at this point in time.

Opinion: Fla. & Mich. were right to move their primaries up

Florida and Michigan had every right to move their primaries up to before February 5. The leaders of their state Republican and Democratic parties felt that it was important to challenge the monopoly that Iowa and New Hampshire have on early primaries and caucuses. In truth, many states wish they could move their primaries up to just after, during and even before Iowa and New Hampshire, but the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee are terrified of angering Iowa and New Hampshire.

These two states believe they not only hold a sacred right be the first in the nation, but that other states cannot hold primaries and caucuses until well after the conclusion of their own. It is even written in New Hampshire’s constitution that the state must be the first in the nation to hold a presidential primary! Iowa and New Hampshire do not and should not be permitted to have as Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) called it, “perpetual privilege.”

Clinton supporter claims Democrats halved vote for Fla. & Mich. because Obama is black

This crazy devoted Clinton supporter who came to the Rules & Bylaws Committee’s meeting to support full reinstatement of the Florida and Michigan delegates with full votes, launched into a crazy rant that accused the Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee of making their compromise because Senator Obama is “an inadequate black male…”

Also, at the very end a reporter asks the woman her name. She responds angrily, “What? Why would you like my name? Maybe you are the CIA? The FBI?”

Updated delegate totals with Michigan and Florida

Obama: 2052 delegates (including superdelegates)

Clinton: 1877.5 delegates (including superdelegates)

The Associated Press is reporting that Senator Obama is now 66 delegates away from capturing the Democratic presidential nomination.

New number needed to capture Democratic presidential nomination: 2118

Chuck Todd, MSNBC’s political director, is reporting that Senator Obama will need about 65 delegates to capture the nomination and most likely just 20 superdelegates to put him over the top. Senator Clinton is much further away and would need to win a monumental amount of delegates and superdelegates in order to capture the nomination.

RBC votes to seat full Mich. delegation with half votes

By a vote of 19 to 8 the Rules & Bylaws Committee has decided to seat the entire delegation from Michigan at the Democratic National Convention, but with each delegate receiving half a vote.

Harold Ickes, a top adviser to Senator Clinton’s campaign and member of the Rules & Bylaws Committee, stated in the meeting that Senator Clinton had instructed him to reserve the right to take this decision to the Democratic National Committee’s Credentials Committee.

Update: Here is the video of Harold Ickes addressing the RBC before the Michigan vote.

RBC votes to seat Florida delegates with half votes

The entire delegation from Florida will be seated at the Democratic National Convention, but with half a vote after the Rules & Bylaws Committee voted unanimously to enact this measure.

Supporters of Senator Clinton that are at in attendance at the Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting, are being quite vocal about their dissatisfaction with the result.

Obama resigns membership in Trinity Church

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that Senator Obama has resigned his membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ.

Rumors of a possible Gore endorsement and superdelegate avalanche for Obama

MSNBC is reporting that Senator Obama will be meeting tonight with the biggest superdelegate of them all, Al Gore. The most likely topic of conversation will be a possible endorsement. Were former Vice President Gore endorse Senator Obama, especially in the next week, it would effectively seal the nomination for Obama.

MSNBC is also reporting about a possible deal that would give Senator Clinton a favorable outcome in the resolution of how to deal with the Michigan primary while Senator Obama would receive the endorsements of Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and possibly Senator Carl Levin, who also chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.

There are also numerous credible rumors floating around political circles and credible news outlets that Senator Obama will be announcing a significant amount of endorsements from Democratic superdelegates this week. The superdelegates combined with the delegates won in the last three primaries (Puerto Rico, Montana and South Dakota) would be enough for Obama to officially secure the Democratic presidential nomination.

Update: We cannot find a second media outlet that is reporting that Senator Obama will be meeting with Al Gore tonight. Accordingly, the Gore meeting that MSNBC reported would take place tonight, can only be considered a rumor.

Bill Clinton says Michigan and Florida should be seated with half delegates

EMILY’s List endorses challenger to incumbent Dem. in Tenn. House race

EMILY’s List, the Democratic group that works to elect women that support abortion rights, has endorsed Nikki Tinker over Rep. Steve Cohen in the Tennessee House primary for the 9th Congressional district. Cohen defeated a crowded field of Democrats in the 2006 primary and Tinker came in second.

Obama video “Podemos Con Obama”

Sunday talk show lineup for June 1

Meet the Press: Scott McClellan, then former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), an Obama supporter & Rules and Bylaws Committee member & Clinton campaign strategist Harold Ickes

Face the Nation: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA)

ABC’s This Week: Scott McClellan then Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe, and a roundtable with Donna Brazile, David Brooks, Todd Purdum and George Will

Fox News Sunday: Clinton campaign communications director Howard Wolfson & Obama supporter former Rep. David Bonior (D-MI), then a roundtable featuring William Kristol, Nina Easton, Byron York and Juan Williams

Rupert Murdoch talks Obama

Rumor: McCain VP pick to be announced tomorrow

There is a rumor going around in Democratic circles that John McCain’s canceling events for tomorrow because of a cold, is completely bogus and the he will actually be making his VP announcement. This does not seem likely for many reasons. First, McCain would be announcing on a Friday, which is the day that candidates release the less favorable news because the Friday/ Saturday news cycle is the least paid attention to of the week. Second, McCain has only met with three VP candidates (that we know of) and has not had enough time to perform a thorough vetting process on all VP candidates. Lastly, even if Senator McCain has picked his VP, he could choose to announce at a more beneficial time. The weekend’s political news coverage will be dominated by the chaos of the meeting of the Democratic Party’s rules and bylaws committee. Any VP announcement would blunt the coverage divisiveness within the Democratic Party.

This is just a bad rumor that has gotten some legs. Senator McCain will announce his VP choice at a more opportune time.

Update: Our GOP sources say that McCain really has a cold.

Clinton gets big endorsement… expects it to secure nomination

Senator Clinton can breathe easy because she has secured one of the most coveted and sought-after endorsements of the political world: Ricky Martin. With this key endorsement, Clinton is now claiming that she does better with washed up former Latin pop stars than Senator Obama. There is no word on how the superdelegates will react to this major endorsement.

Dem nomination update

According to The Huffington Post, Senator Obama is 46 delegates away from capturing the Democratic nomination for president.

Senator Hagel’s wife donated to Senator Obama’s presidential campaign

GOP Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who many believe could be a secretary of defense in an Obama administration, has not endorsed any candidate for president, but his wife seems to have a preference. According to FEC filings, Lilibet Hagel has donated twice to Senator Obama’s campaign for a total of $500.

Rep. Jim Clyburn to endorse Senator _____ on Tuesday

House Majority Whip James Clyburn will announce his endorsement for president on Tuesday morning at 11am. Many expect Congressman Clyburn to endorse Senator Obama because of his harsh words for Senator Clinton.