MORNING READ

John Edwards’s endorsement of Barack Obama is more about symbolism than anything else, bloggers write on Thursday. But Edwards’s support could turn into more, as he could again become the Democratic vice presidential nominee, reports the New York Times. Looking at Congress, liberal bloggers write that John McCain keeps shifting positions, while conservatives urge Republicans to get their act together to prevent tax hikes.

The endorsement means great press for Obama, which wipes his lopsided loss in West Virginia off the front pages, Marc Ambinder writes. But though Edwards may help Obama with working-class white voters and superdelegates, the former senator’s choice doesn’t fundamentally change the race in the way it could have had it come earlier, writes Chris Cillizza. If Edwards was really smart, he would have endorsed before the primary in his home state, North Carolina, where Obama was looking for a blow-out win, writes RedState’s Pejman Yousefzadeh.

Edwards would bring to the ticket none of the executive experience or ability to win over swaths of voters that Obama is looking for, writes Victor Davis Hanson at The Corner. Obama should consider Hillary Clinton instead, since she has the support of women and working-class white voters that Obama needs for the landslide victory he wants, according to MyDD’s Todd Beeton.

If Obama is now campaigning for the general election, he should attack McCain for the “hypocrisy” of opposing Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) generous new G.I. Bill while lauding the previous G.I. Bill, writes Ben Crair at The Plank. McCain is also inconsistent on climate change by calling for some government intervention as a presidential candidate but having voted against investing money in renewable resources while in the Senate, writes Daily Kos’s Meteor Blades.

One staffer on the Hill defends McCain to The Corner’s Kathryn Jean Lopez, saying he’s the one opposing the massive spending in the farm bill that House Republicans have gone along with. Blue Dog Democrats deserve blame for backing the bloated farm bill, too, writes Firedoglake’s kirk murphy. If voters really want to put a clamp on waste, they should keep Democrats from winning veto-proof majorities in both chambers of Congress, since Democrats are talking about raising “government revenue” as part of their agenda, writes RedState’s haystack.

FROM THE BLOGS:
The Big Show: Edwards Endorsement – Marc Ambinder
The Edwards Endorsement: What It Means – Chris Cillizza, The Fix
If John Edwards Was Smart… – Pejman Yousefzadeh, RedState
Edwards Endorses – Michael Crowley, The Stump
An Edwards VP? – Victor Davis Hanson, The Corner
Obama-Clinton, The Will Of The People – Todd Beeton, MyDD
McCain And The G.I. Bill – Ben Crair, The Plank
McCain/GOP Compromise Troops/1st Responders – BarbinMD, DKos
McCain Tries To Have It Both Ways – Meteor Blades, Daily Kos
Conservative Hill Staffer Protests – Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Corner
Blue Dogs Turn Poor Kids Into Cash Cows – kirk murphy, FDL
What Matters Is Who We Put In Congress – haystack, RedState

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Ex-Rival Throws His Support To Obama – New York Times
Republican Election Losses Stir Fall Fears – New York Times
McConnell Has A Tough Row To Hoe – The Hill
Defeats Tempt House GOP To Distance Itself From Bush – WSJ