Daily Tidbits: May 16, 2008

• Obama only 17 delegates away from clinching winning majority of pledged delegates.
• Controversial GOP FEC nominee withdrawals candidacy. It was because of the logjam over his nomination that the slate of new FEC commissioners were not getting Senate approval, which was preventing the FEC from having a quorum and conducting business. Now it should be able to get back to business just in time for the election.
• Politico introduces the Brooks-O-Meter, based on the notion that the fulcrum of the center-right CW seems to be David Brooks. Right now, looking good for Obama.
• White House now claims its “AppeasementGate” target was Jimmy Carter, not Obama, in Bush’s Knesset remarks. First, that’s not what CNN and NBC claim they were told by the White House off the record. Second, is that supposed to make it more forgiveable? A US President slams a former US President while he is on foreign soil? Since when was that kosher? If President Clinton had slammed Reagan in a formal speech before the Knesset (or in any other foreign land), the GOP would have been apoplectic (and with good reason). Third, even if that is the case, it doesn’t absolve McCain for piling on yesterday and explicitly targeting Obama. Given how closely the White House and McCain’s campaign coordinate, how is it credible that Bush wasn’t targeting Obama given McCain’s explicit slamming of Obama after Bush’s remarks?
• Obama slams Bush hard over Knesset remarks. (See video in new post).
• McCain Was For Talking to Hamas Before He Was Against It. In a WaPo op-ed getting a lot of play, former State Dept official writes that he interviewed McCain in 2006, and McCain said he was in favor of talks with the newly elected Hamas leadership in Gaza. Note that Obama has stated he is against talks with Hamas. Money quote: McCain’s flip-flop is “either the height of hypocrisy or a case of political amnesia.”
• Peggy Noonan Shoots and Scores: Why is the GOP having so much trouble? Too tied to Bush and too stuck in the past. Biggest mistake in Mississippi? Having Cheney visit the day before the election. They just don’t get how toxic Bush/Cheney has been for the GOP, and now it’s too late to pivot. Bush/Cheney IS the GOP brand.

• Knives Come Out. Hillaryland’s disgruntled staffers and supporters start blame game in the press.
• Drip, Drip, Drip. Superdelegate Rep. Pete Starks (D-CA) endorses Obama.
• Daily Tracking Polls. (Now only tracking general election polls). Rasmussen has McCain and Obama tied at 45%. In Gallup, McCain leads Obama 47-45%.
• Housing starts up, but rise is exclusively from multi-family units. Single family units are down. Buried lede: more evidence of downscaling.
• Third Fourth McCain Aide Resignation in a Week. Politico catches McCain aide in conflict of interest, moonlighting for a 527 orgnanization. McCain campaign claims to revise its conflict of interest policy. Prior two aides resigned over being PR/lobbyists for Myanmar/Burma military junta. Update: Fourth resigns this morning. No word on when McCain will have to step down under new conflict of interest policy…
• The Hill: With yesterday’s “Hitler” slander from foreign shores, Bush did for the Democrats what they couldn’t do themselves: he unified them. (And McCain reaffirmed he’s seeking Bush’s third term, and managed to step all over his own “2013″ talking points. Keystone cops.)
• An author of a book about a group of conservative British MPs during WWII who defied Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasement and orchestrated Churchill’s return to power concludes that George W. Bush is much more like Chamberlain than Churchill.
• McCain tries to have it both ways on duration of Iraq occupation. Tries to back off politically from his prior statements that our troops will remain in Iraq for 100 years or more by referencing 2013. But to avoid the flip-flop charge, he claims it’s not a commitment to withdraw by that date; only that “most” soldiers should be out by then if certain conditions on the ground have been met (i.e., end of combat operations, end of crime, end of marital disagreements, end of weekdays). So is there a anything to this pledge at all?
• Brand on the Run. E.J. Dionne analyzes the GOP’s grim prospects.
• Politico: Team Obama has demonstrated perfect timing in announcing superdelegates and other endorsements.
• GOP Belatedly Runs Away from Bush/Cheney. Congress Ignores Bush Objections and Passes Farm Relief Act by Veto Proof Majority.
• Summary of blogtalk about Bush’s “appeasement” smear. NY Times reports on widespread uproar over Bush’s speech.
• Obama to have big rally in Tampa, FL the day after the OR/KY primary. Rumors of a Gore endorsement spread…
• Huge turnout by African Americans in the South could turn some red states blue this November.
• Darwinism in the GOP. Cillizza predicts McCain will toss Hill GOP under bus and go his own way; while Hill GOP plans its own “every man for himself” strategy.
• Has Hillary fallen into a “poor Hillary” narrative and can’t get up?
• Conflicted Emotions. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) said he’ll honor the majority vote of his CD by voting for Hillary at the Convention, but in the primary, he personally voted for Obama.