From NBC's Mark Murray
DNC chairman Howard Dean began today's proceedings by saying that the Democrats are going to nominate either the first woman or the first African American as their presidential nominee. And one of them will be the next president of the United States. He also mentioned the 35 million who have participated in the Democratic primaries and also the Dems' special election wins in Louisiana and Michigan. "We are ready to win, and the American people are ready for change. And we will have that change."

He also said the Democrats will be united in the fall, and mentioned what Al Gore had told him after the former Vermont governor's failed White House bid in 2004. Gore told Dean -- who was disappointed from his loss -- "This is not about you. This is about your country."

"This is about restoring American's greatness," Dean told the audience. "That is what this is about."

And he said a goal today was to respect the voters of Florida and Michigan. "They did not cause this problem," he said.

From NBC's Mark Murray
At 7:45 am ET, about 150 demonstrators -- all of them Clinton supporters -- had assembled outside the hotel where the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting will take place today.

The protestors were holding pro-Clinton signs, wearing pro-Clinton T-shirts, and chanting "Count all votes! Count all votes!"

As we were walking into the hotel, the crowd erupted in applause as a car pulled up into the hotel's driveway. Who was in the car? Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Clinton supporter.

It's going to be an interesting day.

*** UPDATE *** By 8:30 am ET, the crowd has grown by a hundred or two. It's a sizeable crowd, but not huge. We also spotted a couple of Obama supporters in the audience. One was holding a sign reading, "Change the rules until I win."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
It's not even 8am and the Marriott Wardman Park hotel is buzzing with anticipation. At a minimum, today's DNC Rules and Bylaws committee will finally put a period on the saga that has been the Florida-Michigan delegate dispute or as my friends at The Hotline call simply call it: Flor-igan. (As my former HotlineTV partner in crime John Mercurio might admit, though, Flor-igan is no Flohpa, which was Hotline's pet name in '04 for the final 3 battleground states -- FL, OH and PA -- but I digress.)

The posts of First Read have been filled with scenarios and speculation and we'd like to think we've given you all the tools you need today to watch the rulings unfold on live TV (thank you MSNBC!). Go crazy with your own delegate scenarios and please share them with us in the comments section.

But we should step back contemplate one giant fact about today's event: it could be the final piece of evidence for the political world that the Clintons no longer control the Democratic Party. It's actually something many of us realized some time ago but it probably hasn't sunk in yet for Joe and Jane Democrat.

But we are likely to leave this hotel today all realizing that this is Barack Obama's party now. Any ruling that doesn't net Clinton more than 20 delegates and doesn't acknowledge the popular vote results in both Florida and Michigan is going to be seen as favorable to Obama. And all evidence is pointing to a ruling today that ends up favoring Obama.  

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
SAN JUAN, PR -- Hillary, we're not in South Dakota anymore.

One day removed from an event at a venue used for cattle auctions, Clinton spoke on the waterfront near the Atlantic Ocean, just yards away from a piña colada stand. And instead of K.T. Tunstall and John Mellencamp, Hillary's rally here tonight ended with the raggaeton stylings of R Kim and Ken-Y (Hillary even grooved to the pulsating rhythm for just a few seconds).

Though the crowd was large, it was unclear just how many here were Puerto Ricans eligible to vote on Tuesday. But they applauded nonetheless as she gave a brief speech, calling for more equal treatment for citizens when it comes to federal programs and even voting.

"I believe that every citizen of the United States, no matter where you live, and no matter what the status of Puerto Rico, deserves to be able to vote for the president of the United States," she said tonight. "If you are an American citizen, if you are able to serve in the U.S. military, if you can move from Puerto Rico to New York and vote for the president while you live in New York, I want you to be able to vote for the president right here in Puerto Rico."

Clinton was over an hour late for the event, as her plane could not take off as scheduled from New York because of a runway issue. And her remarks clocked in at less than 10 minutes when she did get here.

"I have loved campaigning throughout Puerto Rico," she said. "I believe that this is Puerto Rico's time. That you have waited long enough. That you deserve a president who will not only work for you in Washington, but when president come here to visit with you to work together right here in Puerto Rico."

After just one event Friday night, Clinton has a whole series of events planned for Saturday, in what the campaign is calling a caravan across the island. She'll remain here through Sunday, when she expects to give a victory speech after the polls close.

"With your help I will be the person who has received more votes for the Democratic nomination than anyone in history," Clinton said. "Do you believe we can do this? If you believe we can do it, do you believe we will do it? Then let's do it together!"

Then, it's back to South Dakota.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
KEYSTONE, SD, May 30 -- Barack Obama joked with reporters on a late-night visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial Friday.

The senator decided to make the trip upon hearing that the traveling press was heading to the park after landing in nearby Rapid City. He spent about 15 minutes on the lookout platform chatting with Wesley Jensen, a ranger with the U.S. Department of the Interior.

When asked if he would like to see himself on the monument someday with Presidents George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, he joked: "I don't think my ears would fit. There's only so much rock up there."

It was his first trip to the national landmark, which was completed in 1941 and dramatized in the classic 1959 Alfred Hitchcock film "North by Northwest."

"There's something about seeing it at night that's spectacular," he said.

Obama was making his second campaign trip to the June 3rd state, which along with Montana is the last to vote in the primary season.

Hillary Clinton visited the monument earlier this week.

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
GREAT FALLS, MT, – Barack Obama told the audience at a rally Friday night that Montana and South Dakota were the last states to vote and that he believed the party would have a nominee once that voting is over.

It's the kind of statement he and his surrogates have been making more overtly in recent days, while still being careful not to speak ill of Hillary Clinton, who remains in the race despite lagging the Illinois senator by every major metric.

"All across the country the American people  have said they are ready for change and Montana it is your turn on Tuesday to stand up for a new kind of politics," he said. "Now that doesn't mean that it's gonna to be easy. Montana and South Dakota will be the last primaries and I believe this primary season will come to an end and I believe we'll have a nominee."

From NBC's Andrea Mitchell and Lauren Appelbaum
After helping out at a food bank today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reasserted her opinion that the Democratic nominee must be determined well before the convention, calling it a "scorched-Earth approach" if the party waited until then.
 
"I admire the enthusiasm of those who want to take this to the limit," Pelosi said in San Francisco. "I think if we take this to the convention, then we'll harm our chances to win in November. And I think their enthusiasm is wonderful for them; it's a luxury I can't afford."
 
When asked if Clinton would take the Michigan and Florida issue to the Credentials Committee at the convention, Pelosi said it would be "unfortunate" if that would be the case, but she said she is confident that would not be the case.
 
Pelosi also stressed the importance of pledged delegates.

"When my colleagues asked me six months ago, when I was saying, when Sen. Clinton was ahead, I think it would be harmful to the party if the superdelegates were to overturn the elected delegate decision. Well, Sen. Clinton was ahead then and everybody thought she would be the inevitable winner. It was OK then; it should be OK now."
 
Pelosi's overall message was not simply that the nominee had to be decided sooner rather for the nominee's chances of winning but also for the party's sake in general.

"We all have to come together because the American people have to know that the Democratic Party can run its own delegate selection process if they want to know that we can govern America," she said.

From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
Obama isn't expected to speak until 7:45 pm ET at a rally in Great Falls, MT. But his campaign has released excerpts of his remarks, which go right after McCain's "pre-surge levels" misstatement yesterday. They also invoke Scott McClellan's new book.

"There are honest differences about how to move forward in Iraq, just like there were honest differences about whether or not we should go to war," Obama is supposed to say. "John McCain was for the invasion of Iraq; I opposed it. John McCain wants to continue George Bush's war in Iraq indefinitely; I want to end it. So there's going to be a clear choice for the American people this November."

"But that's not what John McCain's been talking about the last few days. He's been proposing a joint trip to Iraq that's nothing more than a political stunt. He's even been using it to raise a few dollars for his campaign. But it seems like Sen. McCain's a lot more interested in my travel plans than the facts, because yesterday – in his continued effort to put the best light on a failed policy – he stood up in Wisconsin and said, 'We have drawn down to pre-surge levels' in Iraq."

"That's not true, and anyone running for commander-in-chief should know better. As the saying goes, you're entitled to your own view, but not your own facts. We've got around 150,000 troops in Iraq -- 20,000 more than we had before the surge. We have plans to get down to around 140,000 later this summer -- that's still more troops than we had in Iraq before the surge. And today, Sen. McCain refused to correct his mistake. Just like George Bush, when he was presented with the truth, he just dug in and refused to admit his mistake. His campaign said it amounts to 'nitpicking.'"

"Well, I don't think tens of thousands of American troops amounts to nitpicking. Tell that to the young men and women who are serving bravely and brilliantly under our flag. Tell that to the families who have seen their loved ones fight tour after tour after tour of duty in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged."

"It's time for a debate that's based on the truth, and I can't think of anything more important than how many Americans are in harm's way. It's time for a debate that's based on how we're going to end this war -- not a debate that's based on raising a few dollars for John McCain's campaign."

"The American people have had enough spin. Just this week, we were reminded by President Bush's own former spokesman of how it was deception -- not straight talk -- that misled the American people into war. It's time to cut through the tough talk so that we can be straight with the American people about a war that's cost us thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars without making us safer. It's time to end the political game-playing so that we can finally end this war. That's what I'll do in this campaign. And that's what I'll do when I'm President of the United States."

*** UPDATE *** McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds released this statement: "We agree with Barack Obama about one thing -- with troops on battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, we should have an honest, respectful debate about the best way forward. And if Barack Obama wants facts, we're happy to have a debate based in fact: the fact is Barack Obama has refused to have a one on one meeting with General Petraeus, and has avoided a fact-finding visit to Iraq for over 872 days. The fact is, Barack Obama has voted against bullets and body armor for our troops while they've been fighting extremists abroad. The fact is, Senator Obama has been critical, but failed to hold a single oversight hearing on our mission in Afghanistan despite his position in the Senate. The fact is, he fails to grasp that a reckless withdrawal, while it may elevate his political aspirations, it will lead to chaos, danger and increased Iranian influence in the region. The reality is Barack Obama's lack of action amounts to weak leadership, and shows he is just not ready to be our commander in chief."

From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann and NBC's Mark Murray
At a press conference today in Milwaukee, McCain defended himself from Democratic accusations that he misspoke Thursday, when he incorrectly said that the US had "drawn down to pre-surge levels" in Iraq.

Asked in the media avail if he got his facts wrong, McCain replied by stating that US troops levels are down -- but said nothing of pre-surge levels. "We have drawn down three of the five brigades. They're home. The marines [inaudible] are home. By the end of July, [inaudible] are back. That's just facts, those are just facts. The surge, we have drawn down from the surge and we will complete that drawdown to the end -- at the end of July. That's just a factual statement."

He added, "The important thing here is not that three of the five brigades are back, which they are and the others are coming back in July. It's whether they would have been sent in the first place and succeeded or failed. Sen. Obama said that the effect would be the reverse. So, he has no fundamental understanding of the entire situation that warranted the surge, which led to the success."

But according to NBC's Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube, the US has NOT drawn down to "pre-surge levels" in Iraq -- and they will NOT be at those levels even after the five surge brigades finish redeploying later this summer. The math is a bit fuzzy, but here are the facts: The US now has 155,000 troops on the ground in Iraq, and that is 17 brigade combat teams plus combat support forces. The baseline number of troops, now commonly called the "pre-surge level," was about 132,000 troops, or 15 brigade combat teams, plus the support forces (engineers, medics, cooks, etc).

Three of the five surge brigades are fully redeployed back to the US. The fourth has already begun to redeploy now (heading back to Fort Lewis). All five brigades will be back in the US by the end of July. When all five surge brigades are out of Iraq, the US will still have between 140,000 and 144,000 troops on the ground -- about 10,000 more than the "pre-surge level." Why?  Most of the combat support and logistics troops will stay behind.  So will the additional MPs, aviation forces, and other individual battalions sent over in bits and pieces as the surge forces arrived last year.

In a conference call sponsored by the campaign, Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R) also defended McCain's comment yesterday. "It's instructive that the Obama campaign, rather than deal with that real issue and Obama's lack of experience, is trying to nitpick the verb -- or I guess the tense of the verb -- about the surge troops being home. So that's the bottom line: The surge troops are all going to be home by the end of July."

"Take the worst possibility here, which is Sen. McCain misspoke. And that because of the specific words used, what he said was not entirely accurate, Ok, so what? What does that amount to? That's the worst possible scenario."

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones, NBC's Caroline Gransee, NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann and NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Obama backers Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry hit back against McCain on comments he made about troop levels in Iraq and his policy for continuing the war there.
 
They also slammed the Arizona senator for using Gen. David Petraeus in a fundraising email, accusing him of "politicizing the military." Doyle argued the action "crosses the line," "it is a bad step to take" and uniformed military should not be used as "political fodder."

Asked at a news conference this afternoon if it was "appropriate" for him to appear in fundraising material alongside Petraeus, McCain responded, "No. It won't happen again."

In addition, Kerry called McCain's request for Obama to go to Iraq an "overt political stunt" that "would have no relevance to real fact finding." But Kerry recommended Obama take a "serious fact-finding trip" to Iraq. Kerry then charged McCain's proposed foreign policy as a plan that would neither get the U.S. out of Iraq nor would it strengthen the country. Instead, it would continue the Bush presidency's failed policy for another four years, Kerry argued.
 
The call that was yet another sign of an increasingly bitter back and forth between the two likely party nominees and could be a sign of what's in store in a general election. It was intended, in part, to argue the presumptive Republican nominee could not get his facts and his numbers straight and to raise doubts about his ability to adequately address the challenges the country faces.
 
Doyle criticized McCain for saying at a town hall last night in Wisconsin that troop levels in Iraq had been reduced to pre-surge levels.

"That just is not true, and everybody knows it's not true," Doyle said, "and I assume Sen. McCain just doesn't know the facts here. The fact is that we are not down to pre-surge levels. Pre-surge levels are about 130,000, and we're up in the area of 150,000 right now."
 
Kerry said McCain had made inaccurate statements about a whole series of issues concerning Iraq and pointed to congressional testimony from top military leaders who have said the military was overextended in that country and that current troop levels there were unsustainable.

"It's very disturbing to have John McCain continually raise questions about what he knows and what he bases is judgments on," Kerry said. "If you don't know the numbers of troops, it's very difficult to make a judgment about whether or not you're overextended. It's also very difficult to have an understanding as a citizen about what levels of troops he's gonna keep there, because if he thinks 150,000 is pre-surge, and that's where he's gonna stay. That's a deeply overextended military, and it raises serious questions about his comprehension of this challenge."
 
He then listed other areas where he felt McCain had gotten it wrong, including McCain's flub confusing Shiites and Sunnis and his publicized trip to an Iraqi market where he proclaimed the market to be safe -- despite the fact that the area was under heavy military protection at the time. (Sniper fire rang out a day later, merchants said the area was not safe and a U.S. military official -- quoted in the Washington Post -- described "McCain's comments about Baghdad's safety as 'a bit of hyperbole.'"

McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds issued the following statement in response to the call: "Clearly John Kerry and Barack Obama have very little understanding of troop levels, but considering Barack Obama hasn't been to Iraq in 873 days and has never had a one on one meeting with General Petraeus, it isn't a surprise to anyone that he demonstrates weak leadership.

"What informed people understand, John McCain included, is that American troops are not even close to Surge levels.  Three of the five Army 'Surge' brigades have been withdrawn and additional Marines that were initially deployed for the 'Surge' have come home as well -- the remaining two brigades will be home in July. Talk about a political stunt, it's sending out campaign surrogates to parse words about a topic Barack Obama has no experience with, and has shown zero interest in learning about."
 
The McCain camp's statement also included this paragraph quoting Petraeus from the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on May 22, 2008. "General Petraeus: 'I should note here that the number of security incidents in Iraq last week was the lowest in over four years and it appears that the week that ends tomorrow will see an even lower number of incidents. This has been achieved despite having now withdrawn three of the five brigade combat teams scheduled to redeploy without replacement by the end of July and, also, with the reduction of the two Marine battalions and Marine Expeditionary Unit."
 
That prompted this Obama campaign response to the McCain response: "The McCain campaign still can't explain why John McCain could be so clearly and factually wrong in stating that our troops are at 'pre-surge' levels. They are not, and anyone who wants to be Commander-in-Chief should know better before launching divisive political attacks.  Once again, Senator McCain has shown that he is far more interested in stubbornly making the case for continuing a failed policy in Iraq than in getting the facts right," said Obama campaign spokesman Hari Sevugan.

When asked this afternoon if he "misspoke" yesterday on troop levels, McCain said, "Of course not" and defended himself by reiterating that U.S. troops have, in fact, been "drawn down."

But yesterday in Wisconsin, per NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann, McCain didn't just say that troops have been "drawn down." He added to the end of that, "...to pre-surge levels."

"I can look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding," McCain said yesterday. "We have drawn down to pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr City are quiet."

NOTES: On the Obama call, Doyle responded to Father Michael Pfleger's recent comments by arguing that he does not "think statements from some member of the clergy that really went over the top are going to make any difference." Campaign spokesman John Earnest quickly stepped in to "point out that Senator Obama has issued a statement clearly distancing himself from these remarks."

When asked about Pfleger's comments, McCain declined to say whether Obama should leave his church, but he leapt to Clinton's defense.

"I have always treated her with respect," McCain said, adding that he's disagreed with her on the issues, but the language used against her is "unwarranted, uncalled for and disgraceful."

From NBC's Mark Murray
On a conference call, Clinton adviser Harold Ickes just announced that former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard and Florida state Sen. Arthenia Joyner will be presenting the Clinton campaign's arguments at Saturday's DNC meeting.

*** UPDATE *** Also on the conference call, the campaign repeated what it said it earlier in the week: that it wants the full Florida and Michigan delegations to be seated; that it wants them seated according to the January primary votes in each state; and that the "uncommitted" votes in Michigan can't be given to Obama -- they must remain uncommitted.

"We are hopeful and confident that after hearing all the arguments and hearing all the facts ... that all the delegates will be seated and all of them will have a full vote," Ickes said.

Moreover, the Clinton's campaign general counsel issued a letter to members of the DNC's Rules and Bylaws committee, which takes issue with the DNC analysis suggesting that Florida and Michigan must be penalized by at least 50%. "The RBC," the letter says, "has broad powers to fully reinstate the Florida and Michigan delegations. Rule 20(C)(7) allows the RBC to forgive violations when a state party and other relevant Democratic party leaders and elected officials have taken provable, positive steps and acted in good faith to bring the state into compliance with the DNC's Delegate Selection Rules." 

From NBC/NJ's Athena Jones
CHICAGO -- Florida Rep. Robert Wexler and former Michigan Congressman David Bonior -- who also served as John Edwards campaign manager -- will be the Obama campaign's representatives at Saturday's meeting of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, the campaign said yesterday. 

Both men were on a conference call Wednesday in which campaign manager David Plouffe said he expected the weekend meeting, called to reach a resolution about how to seat Florida and Michigan delegates since the states broke party rules by moving up their primaries, would result in Clinton gaining a "not insignificant" number of delegates and would likely raise the magic number needed for the nomination.

The Clinton campaign has yet to announce whom its representatives will be.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Resolving Florida and Michigan: After 51 sanctioned contests over the last five months, there are just two dates left on the Democratic primary calendar, and they both occur within the next four days. Sunday is primary day in Puerto Rico (where 55 delegates are at stake and where polls open at 8:00 am ET and close at 3:00 pm ET). And on Tuesday, Montana (16 delegates) and South Dakota (15 delegates) hold their contests. But before those dates comes Saturday's DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in DC, where committee members will most likely decide what happens with those Florida and Michigan delegations. Here are two nearly indisputable predictions about Saturday: 1) something WILL be done and 2) the entire delegations from both states will NOT be seated. So the current magic number of 2,026 will not be in effect by Sunday June 1, and we know the magic number will not be 2,210, as hoped for by the Clinton campaign. It's likely to be either 2,118 or 2,131, depending on whether the Rules committee decides superdelegates should be penalized in the same vein as pledged delegates. The question then is how will the Florida and Michigan delegates be allocated. Keep in mind that DNC hard-liners on the Rules committee, who may be the swing vote between the Clinton and Obama forces, are more intent on figuring out a way to punish Michigan more than Florida.

*** Possible scenario I: We've hesitated reporting on every rumor we've heard about a potential compromise, but here's one plan circulating that seems to be gaining momentum: It would halve the votes for all of the Florida delegates, netting Clinton 19 and, more importantly, counting that popular vote. But Michigan's primary results would not be accepted and instead that state's delegates would simply be split 50-50 between Clinton and Obama. All of the delegations, under this compromise, would be seated in full, but each delegate's vote would be counted as 0.5, including the superdelegates. (Keep in mind, when the nine -- cut to 4.5 in this scenario -- Edwards' pledged delegates are factored in for Obama, that reduces Clinton's net to 14.5.) Should this compromise pass, it would mean the new magic number for nomination would be 2,118. And according to our math (bringing Obama's delegate total to 2,060 with the Edwards delegates, and Clinton's to 1,876.5), that would put Obama 58 total delegates away from the nomination. Assuming that Obama gets 43 of the 86 remaining pledged delegates from Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota, he would need just 15 more superdelegates to clinch the nomination under this scenario.

*** Possible scenario II: Another resolution would be cutting both state delegations by 50% according to how the primary vote went (and giving Obama Michigan's uncommitted vote). That would give Clinton a net of 19 in Florida and nine in Michigan for a total of 28. The magic number here also is 2,118, and it would put Obama 62.5 delegates away from clinching the nomination. Assuming Obama splits the remaining pledged delegates, Obama would need 19.5 more superdelegates to clinch the nomination.

*** Possible scenario III: Another scenario floated is a 50% cut of the pledged delegates in both states according to the primary vote, but keep superdelegates at 100%. That would make the magic number 2,131. Obama then would be 65.5 delegates away (and Clinton 242.5). Indeed, the maximum Clinton could pick up as a result of Saturday's Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting is 91. That's what Clinton would gain if she gets the delegates seated according to the discounted primary results in Florida and Michigan -- and Obama gets zero out of Michigan, because he doesn't get any of Michigan's "uncommitted" vote. If that maximum solution were to happen, Obama's 161 pledged delegate lead would be cut to 70. But such a scenario at this point seems like, well, a fairy tale. It's just not going to happen.

*** The agenda: The DNC meeting begins at 9:30 am ET with remarks by DNC chairman Howard Dean and then Rules committee co-chairs Alexis Herman and James Roosevelt. Afterward, Florida's Jon Ausman presents his challenge (arguing that the DNC was wrong to strip the state of 100% of its superdelegates and more than 50% of its pledged delegates), followed by Florida's Democratic Party and the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Next, Michigan presents its challenge, followed by the state party and -- once again -- the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Then the committee adjourns for lunch. And after that, the members sit down to reach some type of resolution, which requires a majority of those present of the 30-person panel (13 who back Clinton, eight who support Obama, and nine who are uncommitted, including Herman and Roosevelt; the assumption is that Clinton does not have a working majority). A DNC source tells First Read that the meeting COULD run into Sunday, but they're hopeful that a resolution is hammered out on Saturday. One other thing to watch: Clinton supporters hold a rally/protest, co-organized by Women Count PAC, outside the hotel beginning at 7:00 am and ending around 4:00 pm ET.

*** Obama's new pastor problem? So the number of clergymen that McCain and Obama have distanced themselves from now stands at four -- two for each of them. Of course, for Obama, both of his troubled clergymen were a lot closer to him personally than the two McCain had to toss under the bus. Obama's latest pastor problem comes from Father Michael Pfleger, an Obama friend who said at the very least some unflattering things about Hillary Clinton at Obama's church this past Sunday. Obama released this statement:  "As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause." So how big is this for Obama? The timing isn't helpful. Just as Obama is trying to reach out to Clinton supporters, here is a supporter mocking her using some horrendous language. At a minimum, this will likely have some Democrats wondering (and some Republicans hoping) that the 24-7 camera that apparently is running at Obama's church never runs out of memory. Seriously, this only adds to the CW that the Pew poll underscored yesterday, Obama's problems are all personal while McCain's problems are all issue-based and political.

*** One other thought here: While the right will attempt to tie this Jeremiah Wright, perhaps the correct frame here is by connecting it to today's Boston Globe op-ed by Geraldine Ferraro. Pfleger and Ferraro represent the difficulties in bringing the party together, as the two have voiced the extreme negative views about the other candidate. This will be a challenge for the Democrats in November.

*** McCain's McClellan problem? The DNC, meanwhile, has released a new Web video linking McClellan -- and his statement about the "propaganda campaign" to sell the Iraq war -- and McCain's own advocacy for the war. 

*** Where we stand heading into the weekend: The chairman of the Texas Democratic Party and his wife, also a DNC member and superdelegate, have now endorsed Obama. This brings Obama to a 200-delegate overall lead. Obama is ahead in pledged delegates per the NBC hard count (1,649 to 1,500), Edwards' pledged delegates (12-0), superdelegates (323.5 to 284.5), overall delegates (1,984.5 to 1,784.5), the popular vote (16,728,123 to 16,294,435), and the total number of contests won (32 to 18). Note: We're not including Texas in this contest count, given that Clinton won the primary but Obama won the caucus and netted the most total Texas delegates. A bit more on the popular vote... Without adding Florida and Michigan, as noted above, Obama leads by 433,703 votes. Adding Florida to the mix, he leads by 138,931 (17,304,352 to 17,165,421). And adding Michigan but not "uncommitted," Clinton leads by 189,220 (17,493,572 to 17,304,352). But do note that the "uncommitted" vote was 238,168.

*** On the trail: Clinton heads to Puerto Rico, where she holds an early evening rally in Old San Juan; McCain has a media avail in Milwaukee, WI and then raises money in Mill Neck and Woodbury, NY; and Obama is in Montana, where he attends a rally in Great Falls. Also, Bill Clinton stumps in South Dakota.

Countdown to Puerto Rico: 2 days
Countdown to Montana, South Dakota: 4 days
Countdown to Election Day 2008: 158 days
Countdown to Inauguration Day 2009: 235 days
 
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There are 30 members of the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, and here's the breakdown: 13 back Clinton, eight support Obama, and nine are uncommitted, including the two co-chairs, Alexis Herman VA and James Roosevelt. A majority vote of those present is needed to pass a resolution or judgment.
 
CLINTON (13): Hartina Flournoy  DC; Donald L. Fowler SC; Jaime Gonzalez, Jr. TX; Alice A. Huffman CA; Harold Ickes DC; Ben Johnson DC; Elaine C. Kamarck MA; Eric Kleinfeld DC; Mona Pasquil CA; Mame Reiley VA; Garry S. Shay CA; Elizabeth M. Smith DC; and Michael Steed MD.
 
OBAMA (8): Martha Fuller Clark NH; Carol Khare Fowler SC; Janice Griffin MD; Thomas C. Hynes IL; Allan Katz FL; Sharon Stroschein SD; Sarah Swisher IA; and Everett Ward NC.
 
UNCOMMITTED in addition to Herman and Roosevelt (7): Donna Brazile DC; Mark Brewer MI; Ralph Dawson NY; Yvonne Atkinson Gates NV; Alice Germond WV; David T. McDonald WA; and Jerome Wiley Segovia VA.

Here are the results of the earlier contests:
MICHIGAN: (Jan. 15): 157 total: 128 pledged, 29 supers
55% Clinton (translates to 73 delegates)
40% Uncommitted  (55 delegates)
 
FLORIDA: (Jan. 29): 211 total: 185 pledged, 26 supers
50% Clinton  (105 delegates)
33 % Obama (67 delegates)
14% Edwards (14 delegates -- 9 of these have pledged to vote for Obama)

The Los Angeles Times has a good primer on the issues at stake this weekend, saying that there are two issues before the Rules committee. "The first involves whether to seat 368 delegates from the renegade states along with 49 superdelegates, and if so, how. Party legal experts issued a memo this week advising that, under party rules, committee members can restore no more than half of the states' convention delegates. So if the panel decided to recognize Florida and Michigan, it could allow the states to send half of their delegates to the convention. Or it could seat all of the delegates and give each half a vote. The second -- and far trickier -- issue is how to divvy up those delegates between Clinton and Obama."

Will Clinton supporters hurt their cause if their protest gets out of hand tomorrow? "Among the scheduled speakers at the rally are Clinton fundraiser Elizabeth Bagley; two members of Congress who back the New York senator, Reps. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio and Corrine Brown of Florida; and Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women. Her group's political action committee has endorsed Clinton."

Obama's chief Michigan supporter claims Obama supports a full seating of Florida and Michigan -- just wanting a split that's not based on the January vote. "The Obama campaign supports seating the Florida and Michigan delegations in full, Obama's Michigan campaign director Michael Simon told me. A Democratic National Committee (DNC) memo indicates only half the delegates can be seated, but it might be possible for the entire delegations to go and their votes be worth half. 'That is not an acceptable solution. We'll be pretty disappointed if they're docked by half, but Barack Obama is not the nominee yet,' Simon said. 'That's something that he will work swiftly to prevent when he is the nominee.'"

The Washington Post has a good piece about the Iraq debate moving to the top of the heap in the fledgling general election. "Both campaigns think the Iraq debate will work to their advantage. McCain and the Republican Party will use it to paint their likely general-election opponent as a foreign policy naif, too weak to defend the country. Obama and his Democratic allies will turn the war into a proxy for their efforts to portray a McCain victory as a third Bush term."

"But new public opinion polling suggests the war is more a wild card than a slam dunk for either side. While voters still see the invasion of Iraq as a mistake, they are divided about the current course of the war and where to go from here. McCain continues to be favored as the candidate most trusted on the issue -- albeit with a statistically insignificant edge. But most Americans favor Obama's central position, withdrawing combat forces."

The Los Angeles Times picks up on the collective comments from Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and notes the end is near. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are sending public and private messages to superdelegates urging them to make a choice once primary voting ends Tuesday. The push, which began this week, is damaging to Clinton, whose fading candidacy would be best-served by prolonging the contest."

The New York Times: "'By this time next week, it will all be over, give or take a day,' Mr. Reid said in a Thursday appearance at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, where he was promoting a new memoir."

The New York Times solidifies it -- Clinton has become the coolest candidate to drink with. In all seriousness, have folks noticed how many times reporters have included an alcohol detail when covering Clinton over the last few weeks?

South Dakota's Argus Leader -- the paper Clinton made the RFK remarks to -- backs the New York senator. "[Obama's] mathematical advantage is considerable. His appeal also is clear, and his campaign has been strong. But Clinton is the strongest Democratic candidate for South Dakota. Her mastery of complex policy detail is broad and deep, and her experience as a senator and former first lady matches that. Measured against her opponent, Clinton is philosophically more moderate. That is likely a good thing for South Dakota."

It concludes, "Clinton might not win this race. In fact, it's a long shot. But whatever some might say, the race is not over, and her name is on the ballot. Win or lose, she's also the best Democratic candidate for South Dakota."

Meanwhile, Geraldine Ferraro is back -- with an op-ed in the Boston Globe. Under the headline, "Healing the wounds of Democrats' sexism," she writes, "The reaction to the questions being raised has been not to listen to the message and try to find out how to deal with the problem, but rather to denigrate the messenger. Sore loser, petty, silly, vengeful are words that have dominated the headlines. But scolding and name calling don't resolve disputes. The truth is that tens of thousands of women have watched how Clinton has been treated and are not happy. We feel that if society can allow sexism to impact a woman's candidacy to deny her the presidency, it sends a direct signal that sexism is OK in all of society.
 
"As for Reagan Democrats, how Clinton was treated is not their issue. They are more concerned with how they have been treated. Since March, when I was accused of being racist for a statement I made about the influence of blacks on Obama's historic campaign, people have been stopping me to express a common sentiment: If you're white you can't open your mouth without being accused of being racist. They see Obama's playing the race card throughout the campaign and no one calling him for it as frightening. They're not upset with Obama because he's black; they're upset because they don't expect to be treated fairly because they're white. It's not racism that is driving them, it's racial resentment. And that is enforced because they don't believe he understands them and their problems. That when he said in South Carolina after his victory 'Our Time Has Come' they believe he is telling them that their time has passed."

Just wow…

CBN's Brody has a sitdown with McCain senior adviser Charlie Black. Check out how many times Black utters the word "experience" in this one answer: "Senator Obama for all his magnetism and appeal is not very experienced and the experience he has had is that of a sort of a conventional, liberal politician. It's hard to find incidents where he has taken political risks to work across party lines or get things done like Sen. McCain has, but it's most important in the area of national security. We've been debating about a Iran and Iraq with him, and Sen. McCain truly believes that if he had more experience and especially if he went to Iraq and got experience meeting with the generals and the troops and seeing what's going on in the ground maybe he would see we shouldn't pull out of Iraq. But as we say, experience informs judgment and it's hard to have good judgment on national security if you have no experience."

Six times in about 30 seconds.

Did all the big papers agree to write big profiles of McCain today? The New York Times focuses on the period when McCain decided to enter politics. Of particular interest is that his mentor was John Tower and that the early friendships he struck up with then-Sens. Bill Cohen and Gary Hart. Both senators, for what it's worth, are now reliable Democrats or lean Dem.

The Los Angeles Times looks at McCain's decision to run for office in Arizona

The Boston Globe: "McCain, a 45-year-old former Navy officer and decorated prisoner of war, moved to Arizona -- home to his new wife, Cindy, a Phoenix beer heiress -- with little more than a plan to run for Congress. McCain's inaugural campaign and his first, low-profile term in Congress were crucial to the formation of his political identity, according to a review of McCain's congressional papers made available to the Globe.
 
"Many of the issues McCain first encountered then have stayed with him as a presidential candidate a generation later. He allied himself with environmentalist and immigrant causes popular among Democrats, while showing little zeal for social issues, such as abortion, dear to many Republicans. When it came to national security, McCain feared repeating the quagmire of Vietnam - and believed earning public support was crucial to military success abroad. Far from today's rebellious, self-described maverick who rails jokingly against Washington as the "City of Satan," McCain introduced himself to voters in 1982 as a Capitol insider, based on his three years as the Navy's Senate liaison."

Bloomberg News writes, "McCain has lost five top aides amid suggestions that his campaign was dominated by lobbyists, a shakeup that's created tension among remaining staffers; his image as a crusader against 'special interests' has been tarnished; and his response to the first rough patch of his general-election race leaves him vulnerable to further attacks, because lobbyists and former lobbyists continue to help his candidacy, including as fundraisers."

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting story on McCain's YouTube problem. The most popular McCain YouTube clips are not very flattering. 

CBN's Brody also has a long interview with Obama chief strategist David Axelrod. Here's Axelrod's opinion on what the turning point was: "It's been a long campaign Dave, so if I, as I go over it, there are many turn- there are many watershed events, but obviously Iowa, the JJ Dinner in Iowa when he had a chance to standup with the other candidates and speak in a fulsome way about where he wanted to leave this country in front of a crowd of 9,000 people. That was his night and it was a great night and it gave us momentum that carried us through to the caucuses - winning the caucuses, but not just winning them, winning them on a day when twice as many people participated as ever before was a hugely important boost for the campaign. I think South Carolina was very important. You know it was a very tough week. We had a very acrimonious debate with Sen. Clinton. There was some ugliness surrounding that week, some questions about whether he could put the coalition together to win, and he ended up winning by 30 points. That was an important event."

The AP: "Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Thursday that he was 'deeply disappointed' by a supporter's sermon at his church that mocked Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Chicago activist, also apologized for last Sunday's sermon at Obama's church, in which he said Clinton's eyes welled with tears before the New Hampshire primary because she felt 'entitled' to the Democratic nomination and because 'there's a black man stealing my show.'"

"In video circulating on the Internet, Pfleger said the former first lady expected to win the nomination before Obama's sudden popularity. 'She just always thought that, "This is mine. I'm Bill's wife. I'm white." ... And then, out of nowhere, came "Hey, I'm Barack Obama." And she said, 'Oh damn, where did you come from? I'm white. I'm entitled. There's a black man stealing my show,'" Pfleger said at Trinity United Church of Christ.

The New York Post's cover: "Judas Priest."

Obama released this statement: "As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause."

Conservative commentator Jennifer Rubin gives the likely conservative CW perspective on this latest preacher issue for Obama, and it's pretty spot on as far as we're concerned:

"People who think no one cares about any of this will yawn. People who view this and say 'He hangs out with a strange crowd' will file this away as one more piece of evidence. And lots of Democrats will toss and turn wondering: Who else is out there?"

The Washington Post's Balz believes the people that ought to read the McClellan book first are future White House aides. Forget the stuff that's been written to death about regarding this book. "But at heart, his book is the story of a modest and perhaps naïve political operative caught between personal loyalty and ambition on the one hand, and a crisis of conscience that did not fully flower until after he put distance between himself and his White House days. Critics will easily see this as a combination of cowardice and cashing in, but McClellan offers an explanation that, if not fully plausible, goes some way in accounting for what he has written."

"As he writes at one point, his views, particularly on Iraq, reflect those of many Americans, who may have had initial doubts about how anxious the administration seemed about going to war but who trusted the wisdom and judgment of the president and an experienced team of advisers. Over time, his -- and the country's -- trust and confidence in Bush and his team have been shattered by what has happened in Iraq. McClellan is honest enough to admit that. If only others in the administration, in real time, had stepped back to ask, and answer, the question: What happened?"

"Why should this book be required reading in the headquarters of the campaigns? The simple reason is that many of the people now staffing the candidates' campaigns share the qualities and traits of a younger Scott McClellan -- caught up in the excitement of a great cause (to elect their candidate president) and now fully knowing what will await if they end up in the next White House as aides to the 44th president of the United States."

The Washington Times wonders what role his mother played in pushing McClellan to the anti-Bush edge. Remember, McClellan's mom, Carole Keeton Strayhorn challenged the establishment Texas GOP in an attempt to knock off Rick Perry.

Potential Obama short-lister Sam Nunn, pens one-half of a New York Times op-ed with Indiana GOP Sen. Dick Lugar. The lead of the New York Times op-ed praises McCain for his comments about working with Russia to prevent the spread of nukes.

The Washington Times reports that Joe Biden "yesterday said his one-time presidential rival Sen. Barack Obama has asked him to 'play a more prominent' and 'deeply involved' role in his campaign, a signal the likely Democratic nominee is looking to burnish his foreign-policy credentials that Republicans are attacking. Mr. Biden stopped short of endorsing Mr. Obama, but predicted the Illinois senator is likely to emerge as the nominee after the last contests on Tuesday. He also took a few swipes at presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain."

"'He has asked me to play a more prominent role – not in an administration, in the campaign – meaning would I be more available, would I travel with him occasionally, and I said once he gets the nomination, if he gets the nomination, then I'll do whatever he wants,' Mr. Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told The Washington Times yesterday in an interview. 'I'll do whatever he asks me to do.'"

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Obama picked up the support of West Virginia congressman and superdelegate Alan Mollohan. Obama now actually leads Clinton 4-3 in superdelegate endorsements in a state she won by 41 percentage points. Additionally, the Obama supporters are all elected officials, including Sen. Robert Byrd. Gov. Joe Manchin is the only elected superdelegate not to have endorsed yet.

Clinton got Washington state party vice chair Eileen Macoll, which we reported on earlier. In First Thoughts, we mentioned the Obama pick up of Gail Rasmussen from Oregon.
 
The NBC NEWS Delegate Counts:
PLEDGED: Obama 1,649 to 1,500
SUPERDELEGATES: Obama 321.5 to 284.5
EDWARDS PL.: Obama 12 to 0
TOTAL: Obama 1,982.5 to 1,784.5

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
HURON, SD --  Saying it "really all does come down to next Tuesday," Hillary Clinton said that the enthusiasm she's seen among South Dakotans proves that she was right to fight to the bitter end of the campaign calendar.

"A lot of folks said, 'Well, you know, by the time we get to South Dakota and Montana, people are going to be tired of it,'" Clinton said, again quoting unnamed skeptics. "Well, I don't know what they're talking about... I think there is an enormous amount of enthusiasm for this election here in South Dakota, and it's because you're taking our measure and you're trying to decide who you can count on to be your president."

Clinton, who said that politics "can get either silly or complicated," said this nomination "really all does come down to next Tuesday," and pointed to the fact that voters across America have ignored pundits who have called the race over.

"This is the closest election we've had in a really long time," she said. "They've been trying to tell me to stop running since January. Every time they say it, people rebuke it, and keep voting for me. That's what I hope will happen here in South Dakota."

Clinton also argued that she'd be a stronger candidate against McCain, whom she called a "formidable candidate." And for the second day in a row, also she alluded to her travels to Iraq and Afghanistan with him. 

"He's a friend of mine," she said. "He is someone whose service to our country I deeply honor... But he is offering the wrong ideas for America."

The rally here was held indoors because of rain. Only some of the crowd was able to fit into the meeting hall where she spoke, and Clinton later greeted some of the overflow outside. "We couldn't get everybody in here," she told the audience. "But I want to take credit for the rain, 'cause I know that's something that everybody is happy to see."

From NBC's Chuck Todd
I have hesitated reporting on every rumor we've heard about a potential compromise in the Florida-Michigan delegate dispute, but there's one plan circulating that seems to be gaining momentum.

This plan would halve the votes for all of the Florida delegates, netting Clinton 19 and, more importantly, counting that popular vote. But Michigan's primary results would not be accepted and, instead, that state's delegates would simply be split 50-50 between Clinton and Obama.

All of the delegations, under this compromise, would be seated in full, but each delegate's vote would be counted as 0.5, including the superdelegates.
 
Again, this is just one rumored plan, but it's gaining enough support with some that I figured it was worth reporting. Who knows, by tonight, a new compromise plan will become the plan du jour, but for now, get familiar with this idea.

By the way, should this compromise pass, it would mean the new magic number for nomination would be 2,118.

From NBC's Domenico Montanaro
Clinton gets a Washington state superdelegate -- Eileen Macoll, the state party's vice chair.

Clinton also got the, um, coveted endorsement of Puerto Rican pop singer -- and former soap opera star -- Ricky Martin, five days ahead of the Puerto Rico primary.

"These elections will have historic repercussions both in the United States and the world," Martin said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign. "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."

Clinton said she was "honored" by the endorsement. "In addition to his great talent, Ricky is committed to improving the world through his philanthropic work, and I am grateful for his support," Clinton said in a statement. "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."

Still waiting on New Kids On The Block and the rest of Menudo.

Martin is not a superdelegate. Today, Obama and Clinton have picked up one superdelegate each.

The NBC NEWS DELEGATE COUNTS:
PLEDGED: Obama 1,649 to 1,500
SUPERDELEGATES: Obama 320.5 to 284.5
EDWARDS PL.: Obama 12 to 0
TOTAL: Obama 1,981.5 to 1,784.5

From NBC/NJ's Mike Memoli
... But we in the Hillary Clinton traveling press corps were just alerted that the sign-up page for transportation and hotel rooms was updated for the coming week. Interestingly, it allows us to sign up for travel after June 3, the final primary day -- right up through June 6.

A sign of optimism? A sign she's not giving up anytime soon? "Sign up and see," was all Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said.

Carson later added, "There are a lot of places to go between now and November 4."