Kerry says Barack Obama can bridge the divide on religious extremism because of his race.

The FBI is up to new tricks:

The FBI has recently adopted a novel investigative technique: posting hyperlinks that purport to be illegal videos of minors having sex, and then raiding the homes of anyone willing to click on them.

Undercover FBI agents used this hyperlink-enticement technique, which directed Internet users to a clandestine government server, to stage armed raids of homes in Pennsylvania, New York, and Nevada last year. The supposed video files actually were gibberish and contained no illegal images.

Today it's kiddie links, what will it be tomorrow? Links to sites offering information on growing pot? Links to sites offering prescription medicaton? Links to sites critical of the Government?

Be careful where you click, you may be next. [Hat tip to Blawg Review.]

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was disbarred today. The court said he perjury conviction was a crime of moral turpitude.

The former White House aide was found guilty a year ago of obstruction of justice and lying. Those are considered crimes involving "moral turpitude" that under the law require disbarment, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled.

The court had previously suspended Libby from the practice of law in Washington. President George W. Bush in July commuted Libby's 2-1/2-year prison sentence, enraging Democrats who accused Bush of abusing his power.

Libby did not challenge the disbarment.

A new study by Harvard sociologist Robert Sampson finds that rising immigration rates in communities do not result in rising crime rates.

studied crime and immigration in 180 neighborhoods in Chicago over seven years, found that first-generation immigrants were 45 percent less likely to commit violent acts than third generation Americans.

"Immigrants have lower rates of crime and there is a negative correlation between the trends," Sampson said in an interview.

The results of Sampson's study showed that incentive to work, ambition and a desire not to be deported were common reasons cited for first generation immigrants, especially Mexicans, not to commit crimes.

Sampson also studied data from police records, the U.S Census and surveyed more than 8,000 Chicago residents. The study showed there was significant immigration growth, including illegal aliens-in the mid-1990s, peaking at the end of the decade.

But during that time the national homicide rate plunged. Crime also dropped in immigration hot spots, such as Los Angeles, where it fell 45 percent overall, San Jose, Dallas and Phoenix.

I hope this is one myth we can now leave behind us. It matches another study I wrote about here, urging an end to the politics of bigotry and fear .

As Big Tent Democrat wrote below, Obama is the obstacle to the Michigan re-vote.

Ten of Hillary Clinton's individual donors have pledged $12 million for a revote.

Barack Obama tells CNN:

In a CNN interview, the Illinois senator recalled Clinton's statement last fall that Michigan's primary was "not going to count for anything."

"Then, as soon as she got into trouble politically, and it looked like she would have no prospects of winning the nomination without having [Michigan and Florida] count, suddenly she's extraordinarily concerned with the voters there," Obama told CNN. "I understand the politics of it, but let's be clear that it's politics."

His spokesman says: [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

Rules are rules, except when they are not. This has been the Obama motto in this Democratic contest.

In discussing the Michigan revote, it is important to note that the basis of Barack Obama's objection is that the rules of the Democratic National Committee require that voters who vote in the Republican primary be excluded from the Democratic primary in the same year. The Detroit Free Press reports:

By Big Tent Democrat

As reported by the Detroit News:

Clinton turns up heat for do-over
But new primary looks unlikely with Obama camp balking and time short.

Despite a quick visit from Hillary Clinton to make the case and pressure from other top Democrats, supporters of Barack Obama appeared no closer Wednesday to accepting plans for a do-over Democratic primary.

Supporters of the June 3 revote -- including a four-member committee of top Michigan Democrats that hatched the plan -- held out hope that the state Legislature would act on a bill to hold the new primary. But with time running short, the Obama campaign, which has little to gain and much potential for loss in a new vote, piled on the legal objections, and it remained unclear Wednesday night whether the proposal would even get an up-or-down vote in the Legislature.

More . . .

Tim Hames of the TimesOnLine examines Obama's speech and assesses its impact. He thought the speech was outstanding and moving. He thinks it will be remembered in a positive, ground-breaking way for years to come.

That said, what effect will it have on the presidential race?

Was the speech a turning point? No. Will the issue of the Rev Jeremiah Wright and his views on race be a burden to Barack Obama all the way to election day? Yes.

The Illinois senator demonstrated yet again his eloquence in his address in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The fundamental question about his candidacy, however, is whether a man who would be the least experienced president of the United States since Jimmy Carter has the judgment to serve in the Oval Office. That is the doubt that Hillary Clinton exploited in the Ohio and Texas primaries and it is the theme that SenatorJohn McCain will hammer home if Obama is his opponent for the White House.

More...

SUSA had three polls out yesterday:

• Ohio:

If there were an election for President of the United States today, and the only two names on the ballot were Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton, who would you vote for?

Clinton leads McCain, 50% to 44%

What if it was John McCain against Democrat Barack Obama?

McCain leads Obama, 50% to 43%

• Missouri, same questions:

McCain leads Hillary, 48% to 46%
McCain leads Obama, 53% to 39%.

• Kentucky, same questions:

McCain leads Hillary, 53% to 43%
McCain leads Obama, 64% to 28%

The AP reports that Gallup daily tracking polls shows Hillary Clinton leading Barack Obama 49% to 42% on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Will Obama's race speech turn the tide for him?

The New York Times says Hillary has to win Pennsylvania and lead in the popular vote (which doesn't include caucuses ) by the time the primaries end in June. [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

On Hardball, Tweety Matthews came up with this novel solution for Michigan and Florida:

Both candidates agree to full revotes in Michigan and Florida and both candidates agree that the winner of the national popular vote will be the nominee of the Democratic Party.

I second that motion Chris. Tweety thinks Hillary would turn that down. He is so wrong. She would take it in a heartbeat. OBAMA will say no no no to that one Tweety.

By Big Tent Democrat

Speaking for me only

With every Obama blog whining that Hillary Clinton should drop out*, it is worth remembering this key point - the reason the Democratic contest will not be decided by the Convention is because Barack Obama did everything in his power to remove certainty from the contest by acting to block revotes in Florida and Michigan.

More . . .

On this 5th anniversary of the vote to authorize an invasion of Iraq, who is the candidate most likely to get us out? As the Clinton campaign suggests in this video, Barack Obama has been anything but clear and consistent.

I'd put it another way. Obama, even today, wants to focus on who did what five years ago. That is so not the issue and so last year. Voters want to know who has the best plan for an exit and who is best going to be able to execute that plan.

Here's Hillary's plan. Here are 34 Admirals and Generals explaining why Hillary is better equipped to be commander in chief and why her plan to exit Iraq is both the best and most achievable: [More...]