I can't see Clinton actually quitting. She will probably acknowledge that Obama seems to have secured the nomination but she will continue to campaign. Financially she is in an awkward position and like a shark she really can't stop swimming or she will drown. It will be more conciliatory and aimed more at strengthening the Democratic ticket but I think we will see an end to her attacks on Obama.

I think Wright is guilty of saying some outrageous things, making untrue allegations and using incendiary rhetoric. Most of us should be glad we aren't being recorded all the time or given a platform to espouse our views and opinions or the same could probably be said of us. I was offended by some of what he said --even when heard in context-- and I understand why others may have been even more offended than myself. But Reverend Wright, through his own actions and years of service to others has demonstrated that he is a good man so I'm willing to accept that he is well intentioned. What we need is a deeper understanding of what his intentions really are.

The Clinton Campaign is pushing a new metric that they feel will finally bring undecided superdelegates flocking to endorse Clinton. Should Clinton win the Kentucky primary on May 22nd, which she is widely expected to do, Clinton will have established a Path to Victory™ connecting the east and west coast from New York to California. (See map for details) More importantly, a Kentucky victory will block her opponent, Barack Obama, leaving him with no Path to Victory™.

Obama's campaign has 40 million while Clinton's campaign is broke, leaving a trail of debts that far exceeds her available cash. Clinton has made numerous blunders leaving her credibility in tatters. Newspapers are overwhelmingly endorsing Obama and even the New York Times --which endorsed Clinton in January-- wrote a scathing editorial placing much of the blame for the negative tone of the campaign squarely on the shoulders of Clinton. Her national polling numbers are sinking as former supporters, disgusted with her Tonya Harding strategy, Rovian tactics and shameless pandering turn their backs on Clinton in increasing numbers. So, why can't Obama close?

I have found that people tend to believe things they hope are true or that they fear are true.  If you can grasp how someone perceives a situation you stand a far better chance of explaining their actions and understanding their motives that you do by merely understanding the reality of the situation. This obviously depends on how far their (or your) perception differs from reality but the key lies in recognizing their hopes and fears.

Tucker Carlson told a story about himself committing a hate crime to a national audience and then laughed about it. He later released a statement saying it was ok because he was both lying about and omitting important details when he originally told the story. So in the end his claim seems to be that he isn't a criminal bigot just a deceitful idiot who finds hate crimes funny; I'm so glad he could clear that up for us.

It seems the Bush administration prefers that we get our information from people sitting behind a desk in Washington rather than from our military commanders in field. What other explanation can their be for the Whitehouse's attempt at preventing General Petraeus's briefing from being made public? It appears to be a rather transparent attempt (and luckily it appears to be a failed one) by the administration to makes sure that the American public hears just what the administration wants them to hear.