Some news under the radar you may have missed…like Obama’s tough talk with Joe Lieberman.

At this hour the New York delegation has a news conference scheduled to applaud Hillary Clinton’s support of Senator Obama.–UPDATE: AP – “Some of Clinton’s closest supporters — the nearly two dozen House Democrats from her home state of New York — switched their endorsements to Obama.”

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Hillary will recognize Obama’s candidacy but keep open her options by holding unto to her delegates -NPR

Rep. Charlie Rangel(D-NY) is not pleased. “It puts the delegation in limbo.” -NPR

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As Clinton’s supporter, Lanny Davis joins VoteBoth.com to pressure the Obama camp for the VP spot, signals are it’s highly unlikely.

“The Obama campaign would have to make strict rules, you know, about what President Clinton could and could not do during the campaign,” Mr. Rendell said. “For example, the Obama campaign would have to control his schedule; where he would go into, what states.”
Mr. Duffy said that bringing Mr. Clinton back into the White House, even as a spouse, would present some real difficulties.”

former president Jimmy Carter said giving Hillary the VP spot is a bad idea. Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) echoed the same meme…you can’t bargain for the VP spot.

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The WSJ reports that Rep. Jim Clyburn is to write a book…..Bill Clinton’s expletives.

“Among the party leaders Mr. Clinton alienated over time by his angry tirades was South Carolina’s Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House leader and a civil-rights-movement veteran.[.]

Before South Carolina’s primary, Mr. Clyburn admonished Sen. Clinton for suggesting President Johnson deserved more credit than Martin Luther King Jr. for civil-rights laws

primary night, Mr. Clinton called Mr. Clyburn and they spoke for 50 minutes. “Let’s just say it wasn’t pleasant,” Mr. Clyburn says.

Mr. Clinton called Mr. Clyburn an expletive, say Democrats familiar with the exchange. Mr. Clyburn’s office would confirm only that the former president used “offensive” words. Some day soon, the congressman says, he’ll write about the incident. On Tuesday, he endorsed Mr. Obama for president.”

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Senator Bernie Sanders  (I-VT) has announced that he intends to counter Senator Joe Lieberman’s advocacy of Senator McCain by campaigning for Senator Obama across the country.

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Yesterday, Joe Lieberman received some tough talk.  Jake Tapper, ABCNews provides the details: video too.

Obama Confronts Lieberman On McCain Advocacy, Tone, on Senate Floor

[R]eturning to the Senate after his securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Obama and Lieberman greeted each on the Senate floor in the Well as they were voting on the budget resolution.

They shook hands. But Obama didn’t let go, leading Lieberman – cordially – by the hand across the room into a corner on the Democratic side, where Democratic sources tell ABC News he delivered some tough words for the junior senator from Connecticut, who had just minutes before hammered Obama’s speech before the pro-Israel group AIPAC in a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign.

Watch video of the encounter on the Senate floor HERE.[.]

Neither party is officially talking. But while Lieberman spokesman Marshall Whitman says the conversation was “a cordial and friendly discussion” and Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton says it was “private and friendly,” Democratic sources tell ABC News that the conversation was a stern rebuke to Lieberman for his criticism of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee on the conference call, as well as a discussion about how far Lieberman is willing to go in his advocacy of McCain, and the tone of the campaign.

“It’s one thing to support McCain,” said one Democratic source, “but many think Uncle Joe has gone too far.”

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“Its a difficult situation,” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, the Senate Democrats’ Assistant Majority Leader and a major Obama backer, told reporters Wednesday, according to Roll Call. “Joe is my friend … but I hope he doesn’t become the lead attack dog. Of course it’s a concern when someone in your Caucus is supporting the other party’s candidate. Let’s not try and sugarcoat it.”

Lieberman agreed to caucus with the Democrats, who need his vote in the narrowly-divided Senate, in order to maintain power. But the Nutmeg stater is testing the patience of Democratic leaders by endorsing McCain and agreeing to speak at the Republican National Convention in September. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told MSNBC they would “watch very closely” how far Lieberman takes his advocacy.

But Obama may feel Lieberman has already taken it too far.

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Two must read articles: How Obama Did It and Can Hillary unite the Party?

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Obama is way ahead and has started the healing. The difference between being graceless and gracious…

Clinton supporters wowed with warm reception at Obama rally

Political healing process beginning
Their presence at the event where Barack Obama declared victory shows that, at least in Minnesota, the political healing process already is beginning.

No one is making that healing easier than Obama. Last night, after he had finished the sort of speech that leaves his followers exhilarated and exhausted, Obama did not just leave the arena. Nor did he head to the nearest television camera or the nearest fat cat.

Instead, he went to a room where the Clinton supporters had been gathered and one by one, shook the hands of the 25 people, stopping to chat with each of them.

“Chris (Coleman) walked around the room with him,” said Stevenson, “and introduced each one of us.”

It was really pretty extraordinary.

“He shook my hand and said, ‘Thank you for being here; I’m sure it’s not easy,’ ” said Stevenson of her meeting with Obama.  “I thanked him and said that everyone involved in his campaign had been so gracious. I didn’t know what to say, so I mentioned that my daughter works for a federal health clinic. And he knew right away which program I was talking about. He said, ‘Oh that’s wonderful.’ ”

read the whole thing

Obama puts his stamp on the DNC, bans PAC and lobbyists funding. Howard Dean will remain chairman.

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