Face Of The Day

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Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana attend a service at the Assumption Cathedral of Moscow’s Kremlin on May 7, 2008 after an inauguration ceremony. Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia’s president pledging to bolster the country’s economic development and civil rights, in what may signal a departure from his predecessor’s heavy-handed tactics. By Dmitry Astakhov/AFP/Getty Images.

Rewards For Dropping Out

Edsall elaborates:

She has ruled it out, but a prompt withdrawal from the contest for the Democratic nomination offers Sen. Hillary Clinton the prospect of major rewards. One of the most inviting is the near certainty that the Obama campaign would agree to pay back the $11.4 million she has loaned her own bid, along with an estimated $10 million to $15 million in unpaid campaign expenses.  In addition, Democrats, both those who are loyal and those who are opposed to her campaign, say the odds of her winning a top leadership spot in the Senate would improve dramatically if she gracefully conceded now. The icing on the cake includes an improved political climate, giving Hillary and Bill Clinton the opportunity to heal the rift with the black political community.

Alas, we’re not talking about someone rationally capable of making this sort of concession.

Another Obamacon

"I have spent over a year researching every candidate from the beginning. Even though I don’t agree with all of Senator Obama’s policies, overall he is the only one embracing the core values of the 1964 Republican party, whether intentional or not, along with a bit of JFK thrown in. This former Republican doesn’t care who his preacher is, or whose dinner party he attended once upon a time. I’m not voting for his preacher. I’m voting for the person who has demonstrated a wisdom and an intelligence this nation hasn’t seen in a leader for a long time," – a commenter on Jake Tapper’s always lively blog.

Omens In Florida

A demographic shift:

According to figures supplied by the Florida Democratic Party, based on information obtained from the state Division of Elections, Democrats now outnumber Republicans among Florida Hispanic voters—a symbolic indication of a major demographic shift in the state.

Of course, the source is biased, but Republicans haven’t disputed the data – just its significance.