The Who2 Blog

Countdown to Crawford

Countdown to Crawford is a brand-new blog from the Los Angeles Times, chronicling “the last days and the last actions of the Bush administration.” Interestingly, reporters have been blogging “in the dark” for the last month, trying out the new platform.

Hunks, Pre-Hotness

The LA Times offers a hard-hitting photo feature titled “Hollywood hunks before they were hot.”Still, these things are never quite resistable. And Edward Norton looks exactly the same.

Tim Russert Dies of Heart Attack

Journalist Tim Russert has died in Washington, D.C. He was only 58.MSNBC reports that Russert “was recording voiceovers for Sunday’s Meet the Press broadcast when he collapsed” at the NBC News Washington bureau. That MSNBC article also has a link to Russert video clips and tributes from others.

Now There Are One

A few days ago we mentioned that Rep. Ron Paul was still running for the Republican nomination for president — even though John McCain already had the nomination sewn up. Paul’s website even proclaimed “Now there are two!” with a graphic of him and McCain as the last men standing among the original 11 GOP candidates.

Bush (Senior) Turns 84

Happy birthday to the first President George Bush, who is 84 today. Bush was born in 1924 — along with Marlon Brando and Don Knotts.

Robert Maxwell +85

Newspaper magnate Robert Maxwell would be 85 today — if not for his mysterious death in 1991. Maxwell was born in 1923, the same year as Ed McMahon and Norman Mailer.

Big Brown is as Sound as the Dollar

Newsday reports that nothing seems wrong with racehorse Big Brown after his lackluster performance in the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. His owners have “ruled out pulmonary bleeding, mucus in the lungs and breathing problems caused by a displaced palate.”The Louisville Courier-Journal tosses out a few theories.

First In, First Out in Campaign 2008

Mike Huckabee, Dennis Kucinich… remember those guys?With the final pairing set — John McCain vs. Barack Obama — here’s a quick look back on the fallen campaigners of 2008:

Clint Eastwood Has Two Expressions

“Sergio Leone, who directed Eastwood in his breakthrough role in the Man With No Name trilogy of spaghetti westerns, said he liked the actor because he had only two expressions: ‘one with the hat, one without it.'”Funny aside from the new interview with Clint Eastwood in the British paper The Guardian.

Clinton Concedes, Backs Obama

“I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him.”

Big Brown Wins Triple Crown!

Top challenger Casino Drive is out with a bruised hoof. The rest of the Belmont Stakes field is suspect.

Wife Pounds Obama

Call it a fist-bump, a knuckle-bump, or the more hipsterish “pound” — Obama and his wife shared one this week.And now, the obligatory over-analysis:

Clinton to Back Obama

“I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party’s nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.”Senator Hillary Clinton, telling supporters that she will end her campaign and support her Democratic opponent, Barack Obama.

RFK +40

Today is the 40th anniversary of the shooting of Robert F. Kennedy. (The shooting happened on June 5th, and Kennedy died the next day.)The New York Times invited three of Kennedy’s children to share a memory of him. Their stories are naturally warm, but they’re also powerfully simple. If you don’t remember thoughtful idealism in American politicians, you can see it on display here.

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.