"Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign. He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation's great leaders and most brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

"President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States," Clinton's spokesman Matt McKenna told Reuters in a one-sentence e-mail.

Clinton won't be with his wife and Obama at their joint rally later this week in Unity, New Hampshire, so let's pick up yesterday's question with a twist: where should Obama and Bill Clinton appear together?

Note: To any readers who will be in striking distance of Philadelphia on Friday, June 27: Some Political Machine writers and readers are getting together (unofficially) to celebrate John from Philadelphia's birthday. Click here for details.

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Hagel broke with his party over the war in Iraq, which he called a "catastrophic mistake." He voted with Democrats to withdraw troops and against President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq last year.

Hagel criticized McCain for saying that Obama, the Democrats' likely presidential nominee, misunderstands the war in Iraq and was wrong to oppose the troop buildup. Hagel called McCain's criticism a "superfluous, gratuitous political comment."

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Al finally gets off the pot...

Just when I thought it was going to be a slow campaign news day, I just heard a report on MSNBC that Al Gore will be endorsing Obama tonight, in person, at a rally in Detroit. The report also states that Gore will request contributors to his Web site, algore.com, so pitch in money as well as time to the Obama campaign.

Obviously, this endorsement would have been better months back, but it can never hurt to have it. I'm not a believer that any single endorsement from any one person can make a difference, but this sort of ties up some loose ends in the march toward party unity.

I'm sure you PUMA's will disagree.

From the email that I just got from Gore:

Over the past 18 months, Barack Obama has united a movement. He knows change does not come from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or Capitol Hill. It begins when people stand up and take action.

With the help of millions of supporters like you, Barack Obama will bring the change we so desperately need in order to solve our country's most pressing problems.

If you've already contributed to this campaign, I ask that you consider making another contribution right now. If you haven't, please take the next step and own a piece of this campaign today:

On the issues that matter most, Barack Obama is clearly the right choice to lead our nation.

We have a lot of work to do in the next few months to elect Barack Obama president, and it begins by making a contribution to this campaign today.

Thank you for joining me,

Al Gore

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Republican members who have not endorsed or publicly backed McCain include Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Reps. Jones, Peterson, John Doolittle (Calif.), Randy Forbes (Va.), Wayne Gilchrest (Md.), Virgil Goode (Va.), Tim Murphy (Pa.), Ron Paul (Texas), Ted Poe (Texas), Todd Tiahrt (Kan.), Dave Weldon (Fla.) and Frank Wolf (Va.). [Wolf contacted The Hill following publication of the article to correct his staff's error. His staff had said he has "yet to endorse McCain" and did not return follow-up phone calls this week].

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This article neatly summarizes my feelings on Hillary's concession:

She didn't pretend to like or admire Obama. She didn't pretend she believes he would be a great President. She didn't say he was right on the issues. She never said he'd be a good commander in chief or would keep America safe.

...

But she had a job to do yesterday and she did it. Her task was to acknowledge Obama as the party nominee, say repeatedly she was supporting him and would do everything she could to help him win.

...

She made it clear, sometimes painfully so, that she was endorsing Obama only because he's a Democrat. It's business.

Exactly. The main point I took away from the concession speech is that Hillary did the absolute minimum to get the rest of the party off of her back. She didn't surrender her delegates, she didn't promise not to try again, should things go awry. She merely stated that by the rules Obama won. And that's all she said.

In fact, it more than reminds me of McCain's concession to Bush in 2000. At that time McCain said he fully supported and endorsed Bush and would do what he could to see him elected. This was after having trouble saying "endorse". And then he didn't exactly set the world on fire barnstorming to elect Bush, as best as I can recall.

So actions speak louder than words and Hillary may be pulling a full McCain; say the right words and disappear. And while HIllary may be promising to support Obama wholeheartedly, we still are left to wonder if that means anything concrete. To most Obama supporters, it matters little, they've moved on. But are they leaving behind some very frustrated voters?

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"Obviously, I am thrilled and honored to have Senator Clinton's support. But more than that, I honor her today for the valiant and historic campaign she has run.

She shattered barriers on behalf of my daughters and women everywhere, who now know that there are no limits to their dreams. And she inspired millions with her strength, courage and unyielding commitment to the cause of working Americans.

Our party and our country are stronger because of the work she has done throughout her life, and I'm a better candidate for having had the privilege of competing with her in this campaign. No one knows better than Senator Clinton how desperately America and the American people need change, and I know she will continue to be in the forefront of that battle this fall and for years to come," said U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

Mrs. Clinton offered nothing less than a full-throated endorsement for and embrace of Mr. Obama and his candidacy. She has said many times that she would work her heart out for the nominee, and aides said she knew that now was the time to begin to show it.

Hillary Clinton announced her support for our campaign today.

Senator Clinton made history over the past 16 months -- not just because she has broken barriers, but because she has inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage, and her commitment to causes like universal health care that make a difference in the lives of hardworking Americans.

Our party and our country are stronger because of the work she has done throughout her life, and I'm a better candidate for having had the privilege of competing with her.

Senator Clinton will be invaluable to our efforts to win in November, and I look forward to campaigning alongside her to bring this country the change it so desperately needs.

Hillary and her supporters are joining us at an urgent moment.

It's going to require a new level of commitment from every single one of us to build a national campaign in the general election.

And we're going win this election the right way -- by growing our grassroots network of ordinary people giving only what they can afford.

Will you help by making your first donation today?

If you give right now, a previous donor has agreed to match your gift, doubling its impact. Help us reach our goal of 20,000 new donors by making a matching donation today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/match

It's time for all of us to come together to take on John McCain in the general election. John McCain offers another four years of George Bush's policies, which our country simply cannot afford.

To win, we must continue building an unprecedented organization in all 50 states. And that will only happen if we all work together, side-by-side.

Thank you for joining this movement and supporting a new kind of politics.

Together we can do more than just win an election. Together we can change this country, and we can change the world.

And we are honored to have Hillary Clinton at our side as we do it.

Barack

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26.5 Superdelegates Endorse Barack Obama

As polls close in the final two contests, Democratic leaders from across the country pledge their votes to Obama

CHICAGO, IL-With polls now closed in the final two contest of this historic race for the Democratic nomination, 26.5 superdelegates pledged their votes for Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The superdelegates hail from every region of the country and every level of the Democratic Party leadership.

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"I am honored to have Ricky Martin's support. In addition to his great talent, Ricky is committed to improving the world through his philanthropic work, and I am grateful for his support. He is a very important voice in the Latino community and together we will work to improve the lives of families and children across the country."

"These elections will have historic repercussions both in the United States and the world. Senator Clinton has always been consistent in her commitment with the needs of the Latino community. Whether fighting for better education, universal health care and social well-being, as First Lady and Senator from New York -- representing millions of Latinos --she has always fought for what is most important for our families."

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The NY Times details Oprah's sinking marketshare and then makes the connection to her big endorsement of Obama:

The circulation of O, The Oprah Magazine, has fallen by more than 10 percent in the last three years, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, and the magazine is now seeking a new editor in chief after the announced retirement of its longtime steward, Amy Gross.

And while Ms. Winfrey still displays a Midas touch when it comes to the endorsement of books and products, some of her latest picks have attracted criticism from longtime fans as she has strayed into new-age spiritualism and, perhaps more dangerously, politics. Her endorsement of the presidential bid of Senator Barack Obama appears to have alienated some of the middle-aged white women who make up the bulk of her television audience, many of whom support Senator Hillary Clinton.

...

Since the endorsement, however, angry criticism of her political stance became a regular feature of the message boards on Oprah.com, Ms. Peck said. "There are a lot of her fans who are not Democrats or who support Hillary Clinton who feel betrayed," she added.

On a hunch from another PM blogger, I scanned the message boards and found that the vast majority of commenters are extremely new to those forums, March, April and May. So it's probably likely that we're not seeing a lot of defections, but more politically minded folks arriving at her venue.

But I am sure that Oprah has taken a hit. From a purely marketing perspective it would have been better for her to not get involved, or play equal time. There is probably a large overlap between Oprah viewers and Hillary supporters, and to the extent those viewers care, Oprah's probably turned them off.

But to be fair, if she had come out for Hillary, the talk would be now of her minority supporters anger at her betrayal of the first African American candidate.

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Well at least Rod Parsley, leader of a conservative Christian megachurch in Columbus, OH, gives as good as he gets.

After saying Friday that he would not withdraw his endorsement of Sen. John McCain, pastor Rod Parsley has changed his mind.

The pastor of World Harvest Church, in the Canal Winchester area, issued a statement almost identical to one he had sent late Friday night, but with one key change: the addition of the sentence "Therefore I withdraw my endorsement."

Spokesman Gene Pierce wouldn't shed light on Parsley's decision, saying only "this statement is a clarification on (Friday's) statement."

McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, rejected the Columbus pastor's endorsement after holding on to it for nearly three months. Parsley has criticized Islam, calling it inherently violent and saying it is "the anti-Christ religion."

Not stated in the article, but that's apparently why Parsley was unendorsed. Which means, I guess, that Daniel Pipes and folks like him won't be included in the McCain brain trust. Which is interesting since Pipes was nominated for positions by the Bush administration.

But back to Parsley. The key question here is whether this indicates a deeper gulf between McCain and the religious right. And that's hard to tell from this incident. Conservative Christians are not a monolithic block and 95% of them wouldn't know Hagee or Parsley in a police lineup. But if McCain creates a perception of being generally dismissive of Evangelical concerns, that is going to be a problem for him, particularly in the states he needs most, such as Ohio.

I think McCain can indeed get away with zinging Parsley and Hagee with most of these folks, but he needs a serious followup with a James Dobson.

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"Today, we are proud to put our organization's grassroots and political support behind the pro-choice candidate whom we believe will secure the Democratic nomination and advance to the general election. That candidate is Senator Obama."

"The reason I'm here tonight is because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I. There is one man who knows and understands that this is a time for bold leadership. There is one man that knows how to create the chance, the lasting change, that you have to build from the ground up. There is one man who knows in his heart there is time to create one America, not two... and that man is Barack Obama."

"She is a woman who, in my judgment, is a made of steel, and she's a leader in this country not because of her husband but because of what she has done."

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Appearing on CBS' Face the Nation, Edwards said Clinton has to be "has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects," with continuing to take jabs at Obama.

"She doesn't need my advice, she knows this full well," Edwards said. "If she makes the case for herself, which she's completely entitled to do, she has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects, the Democratic Party, and our cause, for the fall."

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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.

What Kyle and McCain are both missing is that McCain could easily recapture that 30% of the die hard Bush vote plus the other 10-15% usual Republican vote by running to the right of Bush. Scrap the No Child Left Behind and burn it on the altar of big government. Continue with the railing on earmarks (which I approve). Renounce his opposition to drilling in American waters (and especially in ANWR!), renounce finally and permanently his plan for amnesty for illegal aliens. etc.

The problem of the conservatives is that Bush wasn't conservative, but he had a deal with conservatives and their interests were aligned enough of the time that conservatives were mostly mollified. McCain just spent the last eight years undermining Bush's modest conservative efforts and now wants them to ignore history.

They might be willing to do this, but McCain will need to tell Carly to stop pouring salt in the wounds. Reagan once captured moderates and independents by explaining to them how conservative values could and did change things for the better. McCain apparently plans to win moderates by giving in to media narratives and running away from conservative values. A recipe for disaster.

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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."

You'll recall that he chose not to speak before his home state's primary in North Carolina. In my opinion, the time for him to endorse has come and gone and probably won't make any substantive difference in the outcome at this point. Most of his supporterss have made up their minds. Many of Edwards' more prominent supporters have already announced for Obama.

So after watching this video and reading Time's Mark Halperin and Politico's Ben Smith weigh in, I think John may have inadvertantly given himself away. Listem carefully to the part where he says "...I just voted for 'him' on Tuesday...". I think he said "him". Others think he said "'em". What do you think? It's about 2:17 into the video.

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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."

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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."

Bottom line: the couple said they will not endorse either remaining candidate, saving their political capital for their own causes - his, fighting poverty; hers, fighting for universal health care.

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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.

View Poll

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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.

It's a bit anti-political because its Maya Angelou. It's not what you expect when channel surfing. In this regard, it'll either be highly effective or fall flat. But, as usual, Angelou has something interesting to say and a unique way of saying it. Her note that Americans have more in common than not hits close to someone elses theme.

Maya Angelou: Hillary Clinton is a prayer of every American who really longs for fair play.

Working men and women have had their jobs snatched from underneath them, their homes snatched away from them. And what we need, I think, is a person, a President who can make a difference in our country.

She intends to help our country become what it can become. She dares to say human beings are more alike than we are unalike.

I watched her become interested in public health and in education for all the children.

And I watched her stand.

I have found the person I think would be the best president for the United States of America.

Hillary Clinton: I'm Hillary Clinton and I approved this message.

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