Today’s edition of quick hits. <\/p>\n
* Howard Dean, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Governors Association Chair Joe Manchin have told the remaining uncommitted superdelegates that they have until Friday<\/a> of this week to “make their decisions known.” I’m not sure why anyone would need more time anyway.<\/p>\n * House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has been one of Hillary Clinton’s most reliable backers, but his support is apparently fading fast<\/a>.<\/p>\n * Speaker Pelosi said <\/a>the Democratic race is over, and it’s time to rally around the nominee: “Barack Obama is the nominee of the Democratic party.” (Rumor has it Pelosi really<\/i> doesn’t want Clinton to be VP.)<\/p>\n * On a related note, Jimmy Carter thinks adding Clinton to the ticket would be the “worst mistake<\/a>” Obama could make when picking a running mate.<\/p>\n * Rahm Emanuel<\/a> can finally crawl out from under his desk.<\/p>\n * They were literally afraid<\/a> we were invading to take their oil: “U.S. Navy ships are leaving Myanmar after failing to get the junta’s permission to unload aid to ‘ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands’ of cyclone survivors, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific said Tuesday. Word of the aborted mercy mission comes even as the United Nations warned that a month after the cyclone swept through Myanmar, more than 1 million people still don’t have adequate food, water or shelter and junta policies are hindering relief efforts.”<\/p>\n * Gay couples in California will be able to marry in less than two weeks. The state Supreme Court refused a request<\/a> to delay the right until after the November ballot initiative.<\/p>\n * Mitch McConnell shut down the Senate<\/a> this afternoon over Harry Reid’s reluctance to let more far-right judges onto the federal bench. No one seems to care.<\/p>\n * Tony Rezko was found guilty<\/a> today on 16 of 24 counts. * My friend Melissa McEwan has a very good post<\/a> about sexism and presidential politics: “I’m not sad because Obama’s the nominee. I’m sad because there are women … across this nation, many of whom weren’t even Hillary Clinton supporters, many of whom voted for Obama in the primary<\/i>, who have watched with horror the seething hatred directed at Hillary Clinton just because she is a woman<\/i>.”<\/p>\n * On a slightly related note, Hilary Rosen talks about<\/a> the election and gender issues, and doesn’t approve of what she’s seen of late from the Clinton camp: “[S]he left her supporters empty, Obama’s angry, and party leaders trashing her. She said she was stepping back to think about her options. She is waiting to figure out how she would “use” her 18 million voters. But not my vote. I will enthusiastically support Barack Obama’s campaign. Because I am not a bargaining chip. I am a Democrat.”<\/p>\n * And in still more perspective on this subject, Adele Stan has a very interesting item<\/a> about why it would be bad for women if Clinton joined Obama’s ticket.<\/p>\n * Thankfully, it looks like the Hummer<\/a> will soon be an endangered species.<\/p>\n * Violence was not quite as intense in Iraq in May, but it was the most violent month in Afghanistan<\/a> in seven years.<\/p>\n * The U.S. may not be involved, but international interest in diplomacy<\/a> is on the rise. (thanks to reader R.K. for the tip)<\/p>\n * Steve M. has a very amusing take<\/a> on the still-elusive (read: probably non-existent) video of Michelle Obama talking about her hatred of white people.<\/p>\n * The tide in support of legally-recognized gay relationships continues to move in a progressive direction<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\n* AP<\/a>: “Federal prosecutors are no longer seeking stiffer prison sentences for former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.”<\/p>\n