Obama Claims Democratic Nomination

“Because of you, tonight I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America.”So said Senator Barack Obama last night, after winning the Montana primary and (apparently) clinching enough votes for the Democratic nomination. If the delegate count holds up, he will face John McCain in the general election on 4 November 2008.

Obama Resigns from Congregation

Senator Barack Obama has resigned his membership in Trinity United Church of Christ.The Chicago Sun-Times has the story. The paper also has the transcript of his Q&A with the press, with Obama speaking at length on the issue.

McClellan on Countdown

The Baltimore Sun has the complete (and lengthy) transcript of Scott McClellan’s interview with Keith Olbermann on the MSNBC show Countdown last night.

Harvey Korman, 1927-2008

Rough week for stars of the 1960s. First it was Dick Martin and Sydney Pollack; now Harvey Korman has died at age 81.The LA Times, quoting Korman’s daughter, says the actor died of “complications from an abdominal aortic aneurysm that ruptured four months ago.”

Siegried and Roy and Cindy

Gossipeuse Cindy Adams can be insufferable, but she has a touching report today after flying Austrian Airlines (first class, she points out) with entertainers Siegfried and Roy.

McClellan Likes, Admires, Hammers Bush

Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has a new book coming out Monday, titled What Happened.The website Politico got its hands on an accidental early copy, and broke the story yesterday that McClellan’s book has some not-so-nice things to say about George W. Bush.

Stone to China: Bad Karma

Sharon Stone has a way of keeping herself interesting. Sometimes it’s by wearing a leopard-print dress, and sometimes it’s by insulting China.

Obituary First Lines: Dick Martin

TV comedy star Dick Martin has died at age 83. Here’s how some major news outlets are summing up his life.”Dick Martin, co-host of ‘Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In,’ which popularized the phrase, ‘Sock it to me’…” -Bloomberg News “Dick Martin, the zany half of the comedy team whose ‘Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In’ took television by storm in the 1960s…” -The Associated Press