Mark Penn, in a conference call tonight (audio here) says Hillary has raised $7.4 million online since the polls closed on Super Tuesday from 40,000 plus contributors.

Matt Stoller at Open Left writes about the phenomemal support, and says it comes mostly from suburban women. I don't know if that's true, I can't find a link. The last campaign contribution link I looked out which was updated 1/31/08 showed more campaign contributions to Hillary from men than women. (I've lost the link and can't find it now. It said something about gender being determined as closely as possible from FEC information.) But I agree with Matt on this:

It's remarkable, because it is converting voters and supporters into activists and donors, only it's probably not the creative class anymore. Clinton, like Dean, became an underdog, a real underdog, with more public support than Village support, and her public directly responded over the internet to close this gap.

In other words, the Obama campaign has had a strategy of cultivating online donors and activists, they know how to do it, and they are very good at it. The Clinton campaign has not done any of this particularly well because it hasn't been their strategy. And somehow, they are at rough parity over the last 48 hours.

Curiously, Obama's site is not broadcasting dollars raised, only the number of donations. Its goal is 500,000 donors by March 4.

Bottom line: There's a lot of Democrats giving money this election cycle. They want their White House back and they're willing to shell out to get it.

What an outrage. The Justice Department has indicted one of Miami's leading, most well-respected, ethical lawyers, Ben Kuehne, on charges of money laundering.

Ben Kuehne, a widely respected Miami lawyer whose clients have included former Vice President Al Gore and other major politicians, surrendered Thursday on federal criminal charges for his behind-the-scenes role in a complex international drug-trafficking case.

An indictment, unsealed at his morning court appearance, charges Kuehne in a money-laundering conspiracy with approving tainted legal payments by an accused Colombian drug kingpin to his defense attorney in Miami.

The Indictment is here (pdf). What jumped out at me was Paragraph 15, alleging a substantial amount of the funds that were the subject of Ben's opinion letters to Ochoa's lawyers came not from the clean business of an Ochoa relative as set forth in Ben's letter, but from five undercover law enforcement operations the Government had in place in New York and Miami. [More...]

By Big Tent Democrat

We all know NBC is the Obama Broadcasting Company but this is ridiculous:

An apology from Shuster is in order. Immediately.

[Update TL: Shuster suspended. This thread's closing, please comment further at new one. Thanks.]

By Big Tent Democrat

At FDL, one of our favorite blogs, a post argues that Rezko IS an issue for Obama. Both Jeralyn and I are on record stating our view that Rezko is NOT an issue. After reviewing the FDL post, nothing I see there changes my view. Indeed, I endorse the analysis provided in this dkos diary:

The author claims that Miner, Barnhill firm that employed Obama was a "sleazy" and "ethically spotty" firm, insinuating that it essentially acted as an arm of Rezko's business and that Obama's choice of this firm itself is deeply suspicious. In this light the Rezko connection become ominous. But a little research shows this entire construction to be [false.]

Pols are pols and to expect them to scrutinize every donation they get is simply ridiculous. In my review of Obama's dealings with Rezko, I see nothing untoward. It remains a nonissue in my view.

The New York Times has posted California's distribution of delegates from the Super Tuesday primary.

• Hillary 207
• Obama 163

NBC's Keith Olbermann and Dan Abrams tonight said Obama has a total of 861 delegates while Hillary has 855.

The New York Times says Hillary is ahead with 904 to Obama's 724.

That's a big discrepancy between NBC and the Times. Several of the states Obama won haven't yet awarded delegates according to the Times which may account for Obama's low total number. But, Hillary still has more from the Times than from NBC. Anyone know why?

As to how the Times counts delegates:

Many news organizations include delegate projections in their counts that are based on nonbinding votes for candidate preference, such as the Iowa caucuses. The New York Times counts only delegates that have been officially selected and are bound by their preferences.

To make things even more confusing, here's the San Jose Mercury News saying Hillary has 1000 to Obama's 902.

By Big Tent Democrat

I am off now but J. will be back soon. What do you think was the most undercovered story of the past two days? I say Shaq being traded to the Suns. I can not believe what little coverage this has garnered. Shaq was once the best player in the league. And are the Suns worried about their chemistry? How does Shaq possibly fit with a running team especially given his physical problems and age?

If you do not find Shaq as interesting as I do, propose your own undercovered story. This is an Open Thread.

By Big Tent Democrat

This is a silly, absurd story:

Yesterday on "The View," Whoopi Goldberg switched her endorsement from Barack Obama to Hillary Clinton. Whoopi cited Clinton's statement that she would end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. Whoopi previously believed that Obama had made that pledge first, but apparently she was mistaken.

Who cares who Whoopi Goldberg supports? And what a dumb reason for switching. So why am I posting about it? To ask you a question - do you think this would be big news if it was the other way around? You think there would be a lot of blog posts about it? Remember that silly precinct captain in Iowa who kept switching? Need I say more?

By Big Tent Democrat

Matt Yglesias writes:

an Obama win would represent an alternation of elites. Important left-of-center people who haven't happened to be the most important left of center people over the past 15 years or so would rise to leadership. A Clinton win would be the return of the people who ran the show in the late 1990s and who continued to be the predominant influence in the 21st century. But in neither case are you getting a real toppling of hierarchies and massive infusion of outsiders.

This is right as far as it goes. What is interesting is where is does NOT go - to discuss the DC Establishment, the Media Establishment and the Establishment blogs. One of the most important functions of the progressive blogs has been its Media criticism. But even here, discussing the issue of who the Establishment supports, a Big Media blogger like Matt ignores the elephant in the room - the Media's unvarnished hatred of Hillary Clinton and its unabashed support for Barack Obama. The utter silence on this from Establishment bloggers like Yglesias is further proof of my claim that the various establishments not part of the Clinton Establishment are for Obama. To me it is obvious that Obama is the candidate of the non-Clinton Democratic Establishment, the DC Establishment, the Media Establishment and Establishment bloggers.

***

Original Post: 2/6/08

Bad news from Attorney General Michael Mukasey today. In written testimony to be delivered at a House Judiciary Committee hearing tomorrow, he will ask Congress to block the release of crack offenders currently serving sentences except for first-time, non-violent offenders. It's unclear whether Congress would act in time.

More....

Mitt Romney has suspended his campaign.

John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. "I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney prepared to tell conservatives.

Romney says if he doesn't get out now, he increases the chance of a Hillary or Obama win in November. He adds:

"I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden, and on eliminating al-Qaida and terror," Romney said.

"Finding and executing?" How about a trial first or saying you are going to bring him to justice? Those Republicans....

And what about Huckabee? Will he drop out next or stay and try to pick up Romney's religious supporters?

Barack Obama isn't the only one raising money. I'm adding to Big Tent's post, from Hillary Clinton's website -- they've raised $4 million in 24 hours from 35,000 contributors:

Not only did we celebrate huge victories for Hillary all over the country on Super Tuesday, but you matched our success with a breathtaking show of support. You exceeded our $3 million goal in less than 24 hours. In fact, we've already hit FOUR MILLION DOLLARS! Incredible! And so far, more than 35,000 people -- 35,000! -- have made online contributions.

Your response has been so amazing that we are doubling our goal: $6 million in 72 hours.

This race isn't over.

By Big Tent Democrat

Although Barack Obama is significantly outraising Hillary Clinton since Super Tuesday, raising 7 million since Super Tuesday to Clinton's 4 million since yesterday, honestly the Clinton campaign has to be breathing a sigh of relief. This kind of online fundraising has never been a Clinton campaign focus so this was semi-uncharted waters for them. That they have raised 4 million dollars in the course of about 36 hours is a heck of an effort for them. There is deeper and more committed grassroots support for Hillary Clinton than many of us, probably including the Clinton campaign realized.

Clearly Obama has the fundraising edge, but if these trends hold, it is not THE decisive edge. This campaign will not be solely decided by Obama's money if this holds.

In the end, this is really good news for ALL Democrats. The candidates have supporters, not opposers of the other candidate. While it is clear that the Media and the Establishment blogs give Obama support based in large measure because of their dislike of Clinton, it is good to see that both Obama and Clinton draw their grassroots support as a result of ACTUAL support, not opposition to the other candidate.