One more diary regarding the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency.

What's the consensus of the community regarding Rick Warren's motivation for sponsoring and hosting this conference? He's taking a lot of heat today over the apparently leaky 'cone of silence' (and I won't defend him here except to say he may be well-intentioned but misguided to give McCain the benefit of the doubt) but watching the forum last night I couldn't help but read the body language and rapport between Warren and Obama.

Is it possible that Warren might actually be an Obama supporter?

Based on reporting out of the Clinton camp, I'm not sure the congratulations and calls for unity are appropriate. Obama may have the delegate math sewn up later tonight, but will that be enough to end the primary race?

From Politico.com

There are voices in her circle – including, by some insiders’ accounts – her husband, counseling her to fight on, and hoping for some new revelation that will unexpectedly damage Obama.

And Clinton’s apparent sense that her survival is itself a kind of victory has made the end harder for her and her tight inner circle to contemplate, aides and supporters said Monday. Though Senator Barack Obama appears likely to announce an absolute majority of superdelegates this week, and even as many of her staff and supporters quietly acknowledged that the end had come, Clinton and some around her appeared tempted to press on...

More after the jump.

Darcy Burner, who narrowly lost the race in Washington State's 8th District in 2006, is featured in a nice 2-page article I read in Politico this morning. The piece outlines Burner's (and other Democrats') efforts to outline a clear strategy forward in Iraq, which they've title a 'Responsible Plan' (Here's a link to the plan, in PDF on Burner's campaign site).

From Politico:

Now a stable of Democratic House challengers, led by Washington state’s Darcy Burner, are promising a new tack.

More than 40 candidates have endorsed the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, a detailed 36-page strategy that reads like a “cross between a think tank report and a political platform,” as the National Security Network’s Ilan Goldenberg reported. Burner assembled the plan with input from Retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, known as the “father of the Iraqi army” for leading the first trainings of Iraqi soldiers in 2003, to show voters how Congress will end the war.

More after the jump...

In a story dated March 14, Newsweek's Michael Hirsch weighs in on a question that's been discussed here recently - does the extended (and increasingly ugly) campaign between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama really help John McCain:

The upshot is that both of them are already losing the general to John McCain. By the time the Democratic convention rolls around in August and the nomination is finally awarded, the battle may already be over.

Read the Newsweek article here.

I'm listening live to Dori Monson, the KIRO 710 AM (Seattle) self-described 'libertarian' who is in fact a hate-filled right wing shill.

Link to the Monson show site here.

Monson's world-premier breaking news story today is that the Obama campaign is faking people fainting at his speeches. With three audio incidences of people fainting, Monson concludes these people are plants, and that this is part of a organized effort to portray Obama as some sort of messiah.

Just a quickie here because I'm off to help set up our precinct caucus place here in South King County, Washington State, which starts at 1 p.m.

My Dad is caucusing for Barack! We've had a lifetime of political discussions, and he, as the raised-in-Illinois Republican, and me, as his long-haired left-leaning scion, have always been on opposite sides of the equation. Until now.

This is a small, encouraging sign:

On Tuesday, Commissioner Stacy Ritter balked at the idea of making radio station WIOD-AM (610) the official radio station for broadcasting county announcements during a hurricane -- because it carries the conservative host.

The majority of county commissioners disagree with his opinions and those of other conservative hosts carried by WIOD, she said, declaring, ``We don't have to do business with them.''

Bravo to Commissioner Ritter for standing up against Limbaugh - he's a vile bastard but still very, very popular on talk radio.

The Miami Herald story is asking for reader feedback - predictably, the 28-percenters are out in force screaming censorship. Why not throw the Commissioner some love and freep the poll?

To me, this is a disturbing sign:

Fort Lewis, which this month has suffered its worst losses of the war, will no longer conduct individual memorial ceremonies for soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Instead the post will hold one ceremony for all soldiers killed each month, the Fort Lewis acting commanding general, Brig. Gen. William Troy, wrote in a memo to commanders and staff last week.

"As much as we would like to think otherwise, I am afraid that with the number of soldiers we now have in harm’s way, our losses will preclude us from continuing to do individual memorial ceremonies," Troy wrote in the memo, according to a copy obtained by United for Peace Pierce County and posted on the group’s Web site.

A post spokesman confirmed the policy change Tuesday. It will start in June.

Not a lot of analysis here - but, wow: have military casualties become such a day-to-day part of our lives that now the military itself is willing to consolidate tributes to the deceased for the sake of convenience? What the hell is going on here?

Jonah Goldberg's syndicated column (appearing in today's LA Times opinion section) is titled "Just How Crazy Are the Democrats?"

MOST FAIR-MINDED readers will no doubt take me at my word when I say that a majority of Democrats in this country are out of their gourds.

But, on the off chance that a few cynics won't take my word for it, I offer you data. Rasmussen Reports, the public opinion outfit, recently asked voters whether President Bush knew about the 9/11 attacks beforehand. The findings? Well, here's how the research firm put it: "Democrats in America are evenly divided on the question of whether George W. Bush knew about the 9/11 terrorist attacks in advance. Thirty-five percent of Democrats believe he did know, 39% say he did not know and 26% are not sure."

There doesn't seem to be any limit to the bullshit the GOP leadership thinks the American people can swallow. After spending most of this year smearing Democrats as 'cut and run', 'defeatist', and soft on national security, you'd think the Senate Majority Leader would be one of the last people suggesting it's time to cozy up to the Taliban.

And you'd be wrong. More below...

Not a good day to be a progressive sports fan in the Pacific Northwest - the Sonics have chosen to partner with local hate radio KTTH 770 AM as their flagship broadcast station - read the announcement in the Seattle P-I.

More after the flip.