Obama met with Clinton last night to discuss party unity and such things. What caught my eye on the CNN report was this bit of news :

Some of Clinton's closest supporters — the nearly two dozen House Democrats from her home state of New York — switched their endorsements to Obama Thursday.

[...]

"We're Democrats. Dammit to hell we fight. When it's over, we come together and go out there to win," said Rangel, the dean of the New York delegation.

The New Yorkers, said Rep. Gregory Meeks, have a duty "to lead this transition" to full party support of Obama.  read more »

Impeachment is being whispered everywhere I go. And, since I live in NYC, Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Weiner are among those who immediately are brought up when the issue comes up. I have several email discussions going about it. I see diaries on Daily Kos about it. And when I got to local Democratic club parties and meetings I hear it brought up.

Here, in progressive Brooklyn it comes down to this question I get asked a hundred times:

Are Anthony Weiner and Jerrold Nadler supporting Yvette Clarke on impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

Oddly, no one asks me about Velasquez and Rangel...or even Towns, who HAS signed on with Clarke.

The bottom line is this: I am being asked several times a day (whether I want it or not!) who in NYC is backing impeachment.

The simple answer is this: Yvette Clarke and Ed Towns are signed on to impeachment. No one else in NYC has so far.  read more »

The New York Times takes a look at how Hillary managed to spend $30 million on her re-election campaign over token opposition.

Also in the Times, the headline speaks for itself: "Intrepid Has Not Moved, but the Bill Has Risen to $60 Million". Aren't we lucky that money grows on trees?

The Washington Post: NewsCorp, parent company of Fox "News" and other right-wing propaganda outfits, pulls the plug on O.J. Simpson's book deal and TV special. This is probably the first time that Rupert Murdoch has shown acquaintance with the concept of shame, and it only took a double murderer cashing in on his crime to make it happen. Yeah, yeah, "alleged double murderer", right. The Daily News has a field day - here and here and here.

That didn't take long: the Democratic leadership shoots down that draft idea. Republicans everywhere are probably breathing more easily today as they rant about 'Islamofascism' from the comfort of their parents' garages.

That didn't take long, Part II: new state Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith calls for reform, oh, and a pay raise. Interesting tidbit from the article: Tom Duane "will likely become one of Smith's top deputies".

And lastly, via Political Wire, Newt bows out, sorta kinda with fingers crossed.

Oh no he didn't! :

Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) has long advocated returning to the draft, but his efforts drew little attention during the 12 years that House Democrats were in the minority. Starting in January, however, he will chair the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Yesterday he said "you bet your life" he will renew his drive for a draft.

"I will be introducing that bill as soon as we start the new session," Rangel said on CBS's "Face the Nation." He portrayed the draft, suspended since 1973, as a means of spreading military obligations more equitably and prompting political leaders to think twice before starting wars.

"There's no question in my mind that this president and this administration would never have invaded Iraq, especially on the flimsy evidence that was presented to the Congress, if indeed we had a draft and members of Congress and the administration thought that their kids from their communities would be placed in harm's way," said Rangel, a Korean War veteran. "If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft."

What do I think about Rangel's move? It takes balls.

Big.

HUGE.

Morbidly MASSIVE.

COLOSSAL

COJONES,

to try to push this on Congress, needless to say, the American public.  read more »