Endorsements

Carly Fiorina, whose term as CEO of HP was an absolute disaster, is now speaking up for John McCain. GOPers must be hoping that she doesn't apply any of her management magic to her stump for McCain routine. But hope fails, and Carly starts by emphasizing that McCain is not Bush, by emphasizing that McCain is not a conservative!

Kyle Kutuchief's comments from the Point:

As this campaign plays out, it is going to be difficult for John McCain to energize a Republican base while trying to be the maverick moderate. ABC's This Week had McCain surrogate Carly Fiorina as the guest this morning. She began the interview by saying, "I've heard a lot that John McCain is a third Bush term. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was John McCain after all who spoke loudly for four long years saying that Don Rumsfeld was the worst Secretary of Defense in history, that the prosecution of the War in Iraq was going badly, and we are now executing a new strategy because of John McCain. John McCain has differed with George Bush on global warming, climate change, on how we should deal with high fuel prices right now saying that we should stop the fill of the strategic oil reserve for example."

It is remarkable to see the Republican nominee for president already sending surrogates out to trash the Bush Administration record on the Sunday morning shows. Carly Fiorina was armed with talking points to distance Senator McCain from our unpopular president. President Bush's approval ratings have been around 30% for a long time. That 30% wants President Bush to have a third term. How is that 30% going to respond to Senator John McCain constantly bad mouthing President Bush's record? At some point, McCain is going to have do something for that 30% because he needs that support. Changing his position on abortion appears to be his first overture to the base.

Former presidential candidate John Edwards made an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" this morning. Since Edwards has left the race, the hot topic for any interview with him has been who he is going to endorse - if he endorses at all. Today was no exception. Host Mika Brzezinski questioned Edwards rather aggressively (sans Joe this morning) on the matter. While watching this live this and on the first pass, I thought he was still being annoying coy about the whole thing - praising the candidates equally - but noting that Sen. Cinton needs to be careful not to further split the party. My esteemed colleague Tommy Christopher comments on her recent divisive remarks here.

Edwards appearance on NBC's Today show this morning, however, showed the NC Senator singling out Obama for some praise. As Reuters reports:

"What he brings to the table is the capacity, number one, to unite the Democratic Party," Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, told NBC's "Today" show.

"Number two, to bring in new voters, to bring in people who haven't been involved in the process over a long time and to get people excited about this change."

The first big superdelegate name to declare in the wake of Hillary Clinton's disappointing showing last night. Get ready. The flood is coming. Barack Obama heads to Washington D.C. tomorrow to talk to uncommitted superdelegates.

No doubt there are more than a few supers who'd like Hillary to make their decision a moot point. Geroge McGovern, the former Senator from South Dakota, as well as a former Hillary supporter and friend of the Clintons, doesn't appear to be content to wait.

McGovern had previously endorsed Clinton, so that means a loss in the superdelegate column for Hillary, and a pick-up for Obama. The message is pretty clear.

An e-mail from my colleague Liza Porteus Viana details McGovern's call-in appearance on MSNBC:

Not sure if you heard McGovern,

"I think the mathematics indicate Senator Obama is probably going to be the nominee. I have no regrets about Senator Clinton... but I think the time has come for democrats to unite and to get ready for a tough race this fall against Senator McCain. And that's why I'm hopeful that Senator Clinton will see fit fairly soon..."

He talked about his conversation with Bill Clinton, during which he announced his intention. Bill "of course wishes I had stayed with HIllary." But "we didn't have one single angry word." Bill did not admit Hillary's chances are next to impossible. "He recognizes it's a tough race but he didn't express any of those views."

Thanks Liza!

Update: Clinton gets a super of her own, post Indiana./N.C.

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, were interviewed by People magazine and weighed in on the two remaining Democratic Presidential candidates:

On Clinton: "I like something different about Hillary. I think her tenacity shows a real strength that's inside her."

What doesn't he like about Clinton? "Um, still a lot of the old politics," John Edwards said.

As for Obama, he says: "Sometimes I want to see more substance under the rhetoric."

But he cited two things he likes about the charismatic young senator from Illinois: "One is, I think he really does want to bring about serious change and a different way of doing things. And secondly, I think it's a great symbolic thing to have an African-American who could be president."

The couple also told People magazine about their plans to endorse, or not, one candidate or the other. After the jump, that answer, and my reasons for disappointment with John Edwards. Seacrest out.

Warning: Celebrity endorsement ahead.

Potsie, however, is reportedly holding out for a cabinet appointment.

The LA City Beat's Rebecca Schoenkopf has the scoop:

Henry Winkler: Oh, no. I'm political. And sometimes controversial, I guess.

Rebecca Schoenkopf: Oh ...?

HW: Well, for instance, a chicken could run our country better than what we've got now.

RS: That is political! Do you have a favorite going into the election?

HW: I do have a favorite. I don't think I'm going to say it ... .

RS: I'm an Obama girl, myself ... .

HW: I think I'm an Obama guy. You can not be that articulate that often and not have it on the ball. People say we need "experience," but intelligence and passion are what we need to fix this country again after what they've done to it.

Earlier in the campaign, Chuck Cunningham endorsed Ron Paul, but hasn't been seen since.

In all seriousness, Winkler is, by all accounts, a wonderful guy, universally loved. I'd feel like a jerk for calling him "The Fonz" if I didn't also tell you about his new children's book, Hank Zipzer: Niagara Falls Or Does It?, out June 2.

This is quite a coup for Obama, at least where my generation is concerned. One Fonz is worth at least 50 or 60 state legislators. If he can somehow reach those "bitter" Sweathogs, Obama's got it made.

Update: The Political Machine has learned that there is a political schism between the Mallachi Brothers, with Rocco endorsing Hillary Clinton and Count Mallachi supporting John McCain.

Hillary Clinton's campaign is airing a new :60 second spot in North Carlonia featuing Maya Angelou. The spot mixes black-and-white photos mixed with footage of Angelou endorsing Clinton.

Fred Thompson is the latest to stump for McCain:

Former GOP presidential candidate and close McCain friend, Fred Thompson, is set to join the presumptive GOP nominee during his visit to North Carolina next week. Since losing the South Carolina primary on Jan. 18, Thompson has been absent from the limelight-even choosing to drop out of the race via written statement.

McCain is set to make a timely visit to the Tar Heel State, where primary voters go to the polls on Tuesday, and hopes to scoop up some media coverage. He is set to hit Charlotte on Monday and deliver a speech at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem the next day.

In recent weeks, McCain has campaigned with both Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. While there was a lot of VP buzz when the AZ Senator was joined by Romney and Huckabee, expect a lot less around Fred-the former TN Senator even told Fox News last week that a number 2 slot is "not in the cards."

Which means of the top four candidates that didn't win the nomination, all of them have or will be on the straight talk express. It's favor currying, it's showing party loyalty, and unity, and it's definitely part of politics, no matter how we all feel about the end result.

It's also something to think about for the Democrats in the heat of a contentious primary of their own. It's hard to imagine now, but in October, Hillary will be stumping for Obama or Obama will be stumping for Hillary.

I hope Obama didn't think he had an exclusive on Indiana native John Mellencamp. From the LAT:

IF there's any doubt about the influence Hollywood plays in this year's presidential election, consider this: Within minutes of taking the stage in Indiana on Tuesday night, Sen. Barack Obama had an important announcement -- singer John Mellencamp and his wife, model Elaine Irwin, had come up to join them.

"I want to thank John Mellencamp and his wonderful wife, Elaine, for taking time to be here today, driving up from Bloomington," Obama told the crowd in Evansville, Ind. " But there was just one problem: Mellencamp will also be attending an event for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on May 3; this time in Indianapolis. It seems the singer, who actively campaigned for Sen. John Edwards before he dropped out of the presidential race, is dividing his time between Obama and Clinton.

There was an explanation set to be posted on Mellencamp's website Wednesday: "John Mellencamp is a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party, which he feels represents the best hope for sorely needed change for this country. He is lending his support to welcome both candidates as a Hoosier and a Democrat."

John Mellencamp would have been a pretty decent endorsement pickup for Obama, considering his problem with working class and rural Democrats, which are quite numerous in Indiana. But no help from Mellencamp, here, other than maybe to say that Obama's OK with him, but then again, so is Hillary.

Michael Moore wants you. While Hillary Clinton fights to have the Michigan delegation seated at the Democratic convention, the pugilistic filmmaker wants to have his voice heard in Pennsylvania:

I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.

So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?

I haven't spoken publicly 'til now as to who I would vote for, primarily for two reasons: 1) Who cares?; and 2) I (and most people I know) don't give a rat's ass whose name is on the ballot in November, as long as there's a picture of JFK and FDR riding a donkey at the top of the ballot, and the word "Democratic" next to the candidate's name. ...

I guess the debate last week was the final straw. I've watched Senator Clinton and her husband play this game of appealing to the worst side of white people, but last Wednesday, when she hurled the name "Farrakhan" out of nowhere, well that's when the silly season came to an early end for me. She said the "F" word to scare white people, pure and simple. Of course, Obama has no connection to Farrakhan. But, according to Senator Clinton, Obama's pastor does -- AND the "church bulletin" once included a Los Angeles Times op-ed from some guy with Hamas! No, not the church bulletin!

Can Moore get an amen?