I'm back from court and an exhausting four hour hearing. Now I'm off to the grocery store.

You've filled up three open threads today, what's one more till I get back? Big Tent says he's out for the day as well.

When I return I'll probably be more interested in Kathleen Soliah's release from prison (I agree with her lawyer that "For someone who was not a danger or a threat to society, it was six years too long") and the release of Willie Green after serving 25 years for a murder he didn't commit than in politics, but don't let that stop the rest of you.

As well as the BOP's denial of a furlough so a meth inmate with a year left on his sentence can see his 10 year old before she dies of cancer.

Got more to say? All topics open here.

Condi Rice struggles for answers:

At least four State Department workers pried into the supposedly secure passport files of presidential contenders Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain, abashed officials admitted Friday in a revelation that had Condoleezza Rice promising a full investigation and telephoning the candidates to personally apologize. ....The State Department's inspector general was probing, with the Justice Department monitoring the effort, but Obama said that was not enough. He urged congressional involvement "so it's not simply an internal matter."

The company that hired the snoopers is believed to be Stanley, Inc. As to the breach of Hillary's records:

In Clinton's case, someone accessed her file last summer as part of a training session involving another State Department worker. McCormack said the violation was immediately recognized and the person was admonished. That person was not involved in the later incidents, meaning four people were involved in all.

As to what's in a passport file, it's identifying information and a list of the countries one has traveled to, not state secrets: [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

More thread.

By Big Tent Democrat

Your turn.

Note, comments closed.

By Big Tent Democrat

Ben Smith of Politico thinks it will be very difficult for Hillary Clinton to catch Barack Obama in a universally accepted popular vote count in the Democratic Presidential nomination contest since Florida and Michigan will not revote (So do I). Since neither Obama nor Clinton will have the necessary number of delegates to capture the nomination without Super Delegate support, the popular vote contest, though unofficial, becomes significant. Smith cites Bill Clinton:

I hear some people have the day off today. Not me, I'm headed to court. Here's an open thread for you. What's on your minds?

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will appear with Barack Obama in Oregon Friday and provide his endorsement to him.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the nation's only Hispanic governor, is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama for president, calling him a "once-in-a- lifetime leader" who can unite the nation and restore America's international leadership.

"I believe he is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world," Richardson said in a statement obtained by the AP. "As a presidential candidate, I know full well Sen. Obama's unique moral ability to inspire the American people to confront our urgent challenges at home and abroad in a spirit of bipartisanship and reconciliation."

Richardson could be angling for the V.P. Spot. He could also take Hispanic votes from Hillary. [More...]

I'm not sure whatpoint the Obama campaign thought they were making by providing the New York Times with a picture of Rev. Jeremiah Wright in a room full of people at a 1998 Prayer Breakfast at the White House shaking hands with Bill Clinton.

In providing the photograph to The New York Times, the Obama campaign appeared to be trying to divert some attention to the Clintons after a week in which Mr. Obama’s relationship with Mr. Wright has left him facing one of the biggest challenges of his campaign. There is nothing in the picture or the note that addresses whether Mr. Clinton had met Mr. Wright prior to the White House meeting or whether he or Mrs. Clinton knew anything about Mr. Wright’s views.

The Clinton campaign had this response (received by e-mail, no link)

"Less than 48 hours after calling for a high-minded conversation on race, according to the New York Times the Obama campaign is peddling photos of an occasion when President Clinton shook hands with Reverend Wright. To be clear, President Clinton took tens of thousands of photos during his eight years as president."

Update: Comments now closed.

A new Rasmussen poll out today on West Virginia, which has its primary on May 13.

Senator Hillary Clinton holds a huge lead over Senator Barack Obama in the West Virginia Presidential Primary. The first Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the race shows that Clinton attracts 55% of the Likely Democratic Primary Voters while Obama is supported by 27%. Eighteen percent (18%) are not sure.

Clinton is viewed favorably by 72% of West Virginia’s Primary Voters, Obama by 53%. By a 48% to 31% margin, the West Virginia voters believe Clinton will be the stronger general election candidate against John McCain.

More...

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

Via TPM, Spencer Ackerman finds this outrageous fundraising e-mail from the McCain campaign:

"My Friends," it read, "I am not running for president to be somebody, but to serve our country with honor. I seek the office of the President of the United States because I am as confident --"

"Stop right there" writes Spencer. And he is right. The race baiting invocation of Jesse Jackson is obvious. John McCain's actions here are disgraceful.

On Larry King Live: (live-blogging)What Wright said is unacceptable. His statements were hurtful and reckless.

He wasn't aware of them, he wasn't in the church when he said them.

His church is a typical traditional AA Church. It's a bedrock of the South Side of Chicago with people from all walks of life.

Had I known that these comments were made, I would have confronted him directly, and I might have left.

His own career is about bringing people together. His own background is one of diversity. He's rooted in the AA community, there are flaws in the AA community, just as there are with all communities.

More....

Barack Obama is on Larry King Live. He says he's always agreed to abide by whatever the DNC decides. Didn't the DNC approve the Michigan revote plan and didn't he refuse to agree to it? The legislature would have considered it and likely passed it had he agreed. So is that even a true statement?

He says he's confident the Michigan delegation will be seated at the convention. I wonder if he's saying that after he gets declared the nominee -- which he likely will be if FL & MI votes don't count -- then he'll agree to recommend to the Credentials committee that they be seated so they can take place in party business.

I don't trust a word he says about this. He's playing politics, stalling, so he can keep Hillary's totals from including the bulk of 2 million votes from Florida and Michigan. That's not unity. That's not change. That's politics as usual. And ignoring one of the most fundamental principles of our democracy: one person one vote.