MORNING READ

Barack Obama, the newly crowned presumptive Democratic nominee for president, gives a good speech while John McCain gives a bad one, bloggers on both sides agree. Hillary Clinton’s speech made clear that she hasn’t given up, which bothers bloggers on the left, who want her to endorse the clear winner, but pleases bloggers on the right, who hope that Democratic dissension goes on.

Obama made “graciousness seem rousing” in his victory speech in which he praised both McCain and Clinton and showed his skill in putting people at ease, writes The Plank’s David Kusnet, a former speechwriter for Bill Clinton. Obama was “fearlessly liberal” in giving a speech that amounted to a “commitment to progressive policy,” writes MyDD’s Todd Beeton. But while it may have been “beautifully delivered,” its passage about a “journey” that would result in better healthcare and more jobs was “gassy nonsense,” according to The Corner’s Jonah Goldberg.

McCain’s speech was roundly panned across the blogosphere. The speech was “defensive” and merely tried to explain why he didn’t represent another term for George W. Bush, writes TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall, who adds that McCain has always been bad at giving formal addresses. The speech, which required “formality and forced repetition,” wasn’t written for someone like McCain, but voters may appreciate the Republican’s emphasis on reform, especially when they compare it to Obama’s call for “change,” writes Yuval Levin at The Corner.

Clinton’s address was “incredible” for not conceding that Obama has got a majority of delegates and for including little praise for him, writes The Plank’s Jonathan Chait. Clinton is just staying in the race for the money, which she hopes to get from her supporters to pay off her campaign debt, according to kos. Clinton is just staying in the race in case something unusual happens to her rival, a move that that’s “transparently Machiavellian,” writes Hot Air’s Allahpundit. But Clinton and her supporters probably don’t like the idea of a woman being ushered out of the race or serving as a second banana to a man, suggests RedState’s Jeff Emanuel, who hopes for more Democratic infighting.

In a congressional primary on Tuesday, Sen. Frank Lautenberg beat Rep. Rob Andrews for the Democratic nomination for Lautenberg’s Senate seat, pleasing liberal bloggers, including Daily Kos’s brownsox, who have been critical of Andrews’s initial support for President Bush and the Iraq war. And in another Senate battle, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D-Miss.) is virtually tied with Sen. Roger Wicker (R), 47 percent to 46 percent, confirming that the race is competitive despite Mississippi’s conservative tilt, writes MyDD’s Jonathan Singer.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Obama Reaches For The Brass Ring – Tom Edsall, HuffPo
History – DarkSyde, Daily Kos
Clinton Speechwriter On Obama’s Speech – D. Kusnet, The Plank
Obama Commands Respect – Scott Johnson, Power Line
Gassy Nonsense In Obama’s Speech – Jonah Goldberg, The Corner
Clinton’s Non-Concession – Jonathan Chait, The Plank
Clinton’s Stages Of Grief – kos, Daily Kos
L. Davis: Obama Won, Clinton’s Got Delegates – J. Orton, MyDD
Neither Obama Nor Clinton Want Her As VP – T. Beeton, MyDD
‘Nothing Is Over Until We Decide It!’ – P. Yousefzadeh, RedState
McCain’s Speech: Frighteningly Sad – Josh Marshall, TPM
Substance And Style Of McCain’s Speech – Yuval Levin, The Corner
Dem Fun Not Quite Over – Jeff Emanuel, RedState
Hillary: I Must Rock On A Bit Longer – Allahpundit, Hot Air
More Polling Shows Musgrove-Wicker Race Tight – J. Singer, MyDD

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Obama Clinches Nomination; 1st Black Cand. To Lead Maj. Party – NYT
Obama Claims Nomination – Washington Post
As McCain Waits, Nominee Will Seek To Unite Dems – USA Today
Left’s Cash Crushing Right – The Hill