The American people are the ultimate - and enviable - victors in the hard-fought Democratic nomination process, says Alan Wolfe:

After last week’s Indiana and North Carolina primaries, Obama has all but won the nomination — but democracy has been the real winner of the process. According to the Associated Press, 3.5 million newly registered voters appeared during the 2008 primaries, including unusually large numbers of women and African Americans.

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It seems that quite some members of the s0-called religious right are thinking about joining forces with the Democrats. The Democrats have, in recent years and especially in the recent campaign, presented themselves as a religious alternative to the perceived religiosity of the Republican Party. This in an attempt to convince religious voters to vote Democrats and to close the Church-gap. (more…)

The situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate. Fierce fighting has now broken out in the mountains east of the country’s capital, Beirut. The fighting is, at this moment, taking place between supporters of the pro-Western government and supporters and members of the Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah. (more…)

The Financial Times has an article up about Democrats living in West Virginia. At this point in time it seems that many of them will not vote for Barack Obama if he were to be the Democratic nominee. If the choice is between Obama and John McCain, some life-long Democrats will, for the first time in their lives, vote Republican. (more…)

In what is excellent news for Europe as a whole and the many moderates within Serbia, the coalition of pro-European parties, led by President Boris Tadic, have claimed victory in Serbias elections. Due to the declaration of independence of Kosovo and the fact that the EU officially recognized and supported the declaration, there had been a lot of speculation that the nationalist parties would score a victory. These parties hold their sympathy with Milosevic and their ilk, and amongst their goals were leaving discussions with the EU for membership of Serbia and shielding Serbian war criminals from international courts. The Serbian people, as upset as many were with the independence of Kosovo, have mostly decided to not cast their lot with the nationalists again.

The Chinese have a novel way of ensuring that their soldiers are picture perfect all the time:

Ouch.

Disclaimer: Item vía the Daily Mail.

The New York Times gets it right:

The time has come for Congress to rethink ethanol, an alternative fuel that has lately fallen from favor. Specifically, it is time to end an outdated tax break for corn ethanol and to call a timeout in the fivefold increase in ethanol production mandated in the 2007 energy bill.

The situation is actually worse than that.  It would have been better to say that ethanol has recent found favor, in spite of all logic.  At any rate, we need to do far better than grain-based alcohol when it comes to replacing foreign oil.

(via memeorandum)

Michael Sokolove has a great article at the NY Times Magazine about sports injuries and the seldom-discussed fact that teenage girls are much, much more likely to both sustain major knee and head injuries than boys of the same age.  Despite the unfortunate title of "Uneven Playing Field", this article is highly recommended reading for parents and coaches of teen athletes of the female persuasion.

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With Hillary Clinton predicted to win West Virginia by a huge margin, even Clinton supporters are highlighting West Virginia’s usually white-dominant racial demographics as a major reason. But some Clinton supporters are choosing radical means to suppress commentary on the increasingly open racial appeals coming forth from the Clinton campaign’s desperate rhetorical thrashings by banning all commenters who even talk about it.

If there was an actual response to make to the charge that the Clinton campaign is increasingly embracing open racism, why would it be necessary to ban people instead of just responding to them? There is no evidence that the bannings are responses to spammers, since only 6 such commenters have thus far been banned. Instead, it seems that Clinton’s last die-hard supporters are forced to use whatever tools they have to avert their eyes from the ugly caricature of the Democratic Party’s worst history that their candidate has embraced. While it is not true that every criticism of Obama is “racist”, it IS true that the Clinton campaign has increasingly focused on racial demographics in recent weeks. It is that shift in focus, not the existence of criticism, that shows racism.

P.S. The blatant irony and hypocrisy of bitter-end Clinton supporters telling Obama supporters to “deal with defeat” should not be missed.

ElectionSnark column briefly mis-dated. Clinton and Obama campaigns demand each other publicly apologize.

Balance of superdelegates shifts to Obama. Remaining Hillary Clinton supporters order Kool-Aid and cyanide. (Oooooo. Too soon?)

Paulistas insist that their favorite alien “deserves representation at the Republican national convention in proportion to the support he received in the primary”, but insiders report that it is unlikely they will be satisfied with that 4%. A conspiracy is rumored to be involved.

Hillary supporters openly bet on the racist hillbilly vote as her last, best hope. Democrats assure us, however, that it is the Republicans that are the racist party.

Novak reports that Democrats plan to throw Joe Lieberman out of the party if he endorses McCain while Republicans plan to do absolutely nothing about Ron Paul’s strident opposition to McCain. Democrats assure us, however, that it is the Republicans that are the intolerant party.

McCain paints portrait of Obama, using paint-by-numbers kit.

Washington Post manufactures anti-McCain story. Asked for comment, a Post source said, “Why should the New York Times get all the fun?”

General election poll shows that someone will defeat someone else in November, plus or minus 50 percentage points.

Obama endorses diplomacy in dealing with Hizbollah…um, I mean Hillary, um….was it Hamas? Something with a frickin’ H.

Obama announces expansion of U.S. to 57 states. Killing two controversies with one stone, he announces new flag lapel pin too. Glenn Greenwald predictably denounces Obama as a “warmonger”.

Role of young voters continues to grow, but they still don’t have any idea what they are talking about.

The animals that currently see fit to call themselves Burma’s “leaders” are finding new and better ways to show the world what evil brutes they are. After having seized UN food supplies that were destined for survivors of the deadly cyclone, they are now found to be exporting massive quantities of rice to Bangladesh, to great profit of course, while their people die of starvation, thirst and sickness. Forget eating! says the military Junta, voting on a referendum that will cement their rule permanently is much more important (advocating a “no” can get you three years in jail).

In the meantime China continues to drag it’s feet about asking it’s little brother dictatorship to stop it’s obscene human rights abuses. But then, considering their own record, maybe they don’t think it’s all that bad. Personally, invasion is looking better and better.

Ellen R. Malcom on Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency:

This brilliant woman believes that she can compete for the most powerful office in the world. She believes that she can do a better job than any of the men running to lead our country through these challenging times. And millions of Americans, women and men, believe that she is correct.

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McClatchy says that Iraqi troops will soon be walking the streets of Sadr City and arresting those found with "medium and heavy weaponry."

Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad’s Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

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On memeorandum right now there are 37 - give or take 7 or 8- articles about Barack Obama’s latest verbal miscue:

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go."

Marc Ambinder says, "Obama is tired, nothing more."  Sad, that. 

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Today is the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual food drive. That means you can donate to your local food bank just by sticking a few edible odds and ends into a bag and putting them out by your mailbox. Its a great way to get rid of that commercially packaged fruitcake and that dusty old can of beets. Just make sure you beat the mailman to the mailbox.

For the record while I generally not supportive of most unions (or the giving of fruitcake) I am however supportive of anything that makes it more convenient for people to voluntarily help out those hit hardest by higher gas prices (aka the working poor).

And now a related message from The Harlem Globetrotters..

Here’s one more reason not to vote for Barack Obama, as any more were needed.  According to his campaign, Mr. Obama, if elected to the presidency, has every intention of seating liberal, activist judges.

“Barack Obama,” explained spokesman Tommy Vietor, “has always believed that our courts should stand up for social and economic justice, and what’s truly elitist is to appoint judges who will protect the powerful and leave ordinary Americans to fend for themselves.”

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I admit it, I’m addicted to RealClearPolitics. I’ve been watching their delegate counter for the past 24 hours regularly. Clinton’s lead in the superdelegates has been dwindling steadily since super-Tuesday, but the past day has been brutal. She’s literally losing her lead by the hour. Yesterday I saw it stood, according to RealClearPolitics, at 13. Several hours later it was at 10. This moring it was at 8 and as of now it’s at 7.

ABC’s count has Obama actually taking the lead in superdelegates, by one, and the New York Times estimate  has him up by two. On the other hand, the CNN count has Clinton leading by four.

What seems clear is that the West Virginia elections are going to arrive with Clinton losing in every single measure, including superdelegates.

Superdelegate switches sides to prove his loyalty.

More whining about Obama’s whining.  McCain whines.  Clintonistas whine.  Observers whine about the whining over the whining.  Whining experts predict more whining to come unless whining overwhelms the whiners’ propensity to whine about whining.

The media cites low “political capital” as reason for Jenna Bush’s private wedding.  Jenna Bush cites a preference not to invite the media to her wedding.

Newly revealed memos expose Clinton’s dishonesty.  Other newly revealed memos expose sky’s blueness.

Some economists say something, others say nothing.

Hillary for VP movement grows.  Obama campaign begins hiring food tasters.

I agree with German Bishops on this one: They are calling for the rededication of a church in the Turkish city of Tarsus, arguing that not only would this be good for the Christians living in Turkey, but that Turkish openness towards Christians would be helpful toward the acceptance of Turks in Germany, and in the rest of Western Europe. (more…)

Democrats are very creative and innovative: ‘As state leaders hunt for politically palatable solutions to the swelling budget shortfall, some Democrats are proposing unorthodox ways to generate cash. Strip clubs, six-packs, grocery bags and iTunes downloads are all in their sights as alternatives to broad income or sales tax hikes. So are gas guzzlers and yachts — and a tax loophole for criminals.’ (more…)