According to the Associated Press, "Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday." Is it done. The tally was based on public declarations from delegates as well as from another 15 who have confirmed their intentions to the AP. It also included 11 delegates Obama was guaranteed as long as he gained 30 percent of the vote in South Dakota and Montana later in the day. It takes 2,118 delegates to clinch the......

Good grief. During a speech/swipe at Barack Obama to Israel's Knesset (i.e., Israel's legislature), President Bush quipped: Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: "Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this......

Unless you're a major wonk, there's no need to watch the above footage in its entirety. (It's Obama prattling on endlessly about losing to Clinton in Pennsylvania, how he'll win, how some of his best friends are white trash, "yes we can," health care, change, lobbyists, unicorns, apple pony princesses, etc.) Just check out the three pieces of tail standing in the background. They're all sporting noticeable Abercrombie & Fitch designs. Barf. But as......

Speaking of backlash, the Mayhill Fowler assault is percolating at a gentle boil. You paranoid wheels-within-wheels political fans out there will be happy to know that, apparently, stellar journalist and master of the MP3 recorder Mayhill Fowler is totally ">out to get Obama. How so? Well, because she's wealthy, her husband's lawfirm knows a guy who knows someone who met someone who likes McCain, and she's the devil reincarnated. Or something like that. Don't......

The backlash has started. A few are livid over Barack Obama's surreptitious statements about the poor, armed, and God-fearing that he made over at the Getty manse; others are going into hysterics over ABC's treatment of Barack Obama during the this week's debate. (Actually, some of it was inanely amusing, which, most important of all, made for fantastic television. Check out Ms. Nash McCabe of Pennsylvania [at 1:46] asking Obama if he "believes in......

You know how political fetishists are losing their minds this week over Barack Obama's kind of awesome but kind of classist statement at the Getty manse? You know, this: And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. The fundraising event on Billionaires Row, as most of you......

Photo credit: Jameth Bumper sticker found on a vehicle in Oakland on Broadway and 20th Street. Oh joy Is this what we have to look forward to until the election? Jesus.......

During this week's Tibet rally and Olympic flame frustration, the possible future leader of the free world, Barack Obama, sneaked into San Francisco on Sunday, hitting Billionaires Row for a pricey, Getty-hosted fundraiser. Neither you nor we were invited. Alas. According to Leah Garchik: In the Haight, stencils of Barack Obama's smiling face are decorating the sidewalk. But in real life, he is turning up in more lucrative venues: The candidate will be around here......

Well, frankly, neither had we. That is, until we read this crazy -- yet, not so crazy -- article on Republicans in Ohio switching party alliances and voting Democratic. 16,000 Republicans, to be exact. Now, why the heck would all these Republicans go Democrat? This is part of "The Plot." Instigated by Rush Limbaugh, the theory is that Hillary Clinton would be easier for Republican fave, John McCain, to beat at election time. By having......

Ralph Nader announced yesterday that he will take yet another tireless stab at the Oval Office, this time running as an Independent in the 2008 presidential election. Oh joy. Prattling on endlessly about how the Democratic and Republican candidates aren't addressing the issues, and blah blah, who cares, this will be his fifth attempt at snatching the title President of the United States of American. What with a black man, Barack Obama, in the......

Nancy Pelosi dedicates a campus and opines on the presidential race....

Photo by Phillyist's Matt Johnson, SkyscraperSunset.com, December 19, 2007. Phillyist explored an impending implosion and lived to tell the tale.Gothamist marveled at the city's new NYC-branded condom campaign - especially the use of a Toronto landmark in the advertising. (Also, fun fact: Gothamist turned five years old yesterday.)Tired of the worldwide Scientology protests? Torontoist totally isn't: they covered the big downtown protest the day it happened, and followed up with an examination of all......

Photograph of Michael Strahan, coach Tom Coughin (holding the Vince Lombardi trophy) and quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning by Tien Mao Gothamist was amazed after the Giants won the Super Bowl, the city went wild, and it witnessed a ticker-tape parade.Barack Obama drew 20,000+ ahead of Seattle’s Saturday caucus.Londonist had Super Tuesday too.Elusive guerrilla street artist Banksy revisits Los Angeles.After the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and came this close to making......

West Side Story turned 50 last year, and Leonard Bernstein would have turned 90 next August. Classical music is giving Hallmark a run for its money as an anniversary-driven industry. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, an orchestra near and dear to Bernstein's heart for over 40 years, will play a tribute to him this Saturday, 2/9, at the SF Conservatory of Music (8 p.m., 50 Oak Street), which will include SFCM alumni conductor and Bernstein protegé,......

Well, you'll probably all be as relieved as we were that the proposal to adopt an SF policy to buy back Alcatraz Island from the feds for a billion dollars in order to build a peace center was thoroughly trounced in the polls, losing at a rate of almost 3:1 (72% no). You can continue telling your friends back home that you'll take them on the ferry ride to the prison if they'd ever come......

Those goddamn, dirty, lovable hippies known as the Grateful Dead -- i.e., Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Phil Lesh -- reunite tonight in honor of (our future president) Barack Obama. Looking to snare to what Joe Garofoli refers to as, "California's gray-haired ponytail vote," the Dead is backing Obama. Minus, Jerry Garcia, of course, since he is now most literally a dead head. Billed as a one-time-only event, although they got back together briefly......

SFist worried over drugstore chain Walgreens celebration of Black History Month.Gothamist was surprised that apparently New York City is the fourth most miserable city in the country, after Detroit, Stockton, CA, and Flint, MI.Shanghaiist finds out what the Chinese think of Hilary and Obama.It was with a healthy amount of schadenfreude that Phillyist reported that former Eagle, and now Cowboy (ew), Terrell Owens owes the Eagles a significant wad of cash.Torontoist is two weeks......

Dear sky: Please stop raining. You're being a jerk. Sincerely, everyone. [SFGate]The Palms defended. Sort of. [Curbed]Weeeee: Q4 earnings fell at Google. [SFGate]Although all of their hair currently looks like warmed over shit, at least from what we glean on Valencia Street, here are your best hipster hair salons. [Gridskipper]Midgen hearts the trannies, and wants them to find jobs. [BAR]More Luisa Hanson controversy. [Eater]We have a Chick-fil-A. Yay! But it's in Fairfield. Boo! [Yelp]Former Clinton......

Sure, it was taken awhile back, just after Barack Obama was kicking it with the dames at the Girlie Building. But since his momentum is (thankfully) building, we thought we'd throw up another image of the candidate. That, and to wash the taste of yesterday's tubgirl cake out of our mouth. (Ebb and flow, folks. Ebb and flow.) Image credit: Steve Rhodes......

"Static and squat," declares John King on the new residential tower, Soma Grand. And it only gets worse, beautifully so. [SFGate]Have a sumptuous yet refreshing woodchuck, raccoon, or squirrel recipe? Send it to Endless Summer and you could win a "guest blogging post." [Endless Simmer]Fashion on the 5-Fulton dazzles. [Nature abhors a vacuum]President George W. Bush is coming to the Bay Area tomorrow to make a cameo appearance in Milk, or something like that. [Oakland......

It's that time of the year for all the big papers to weigh in on their choice for President and yesterday, the Chron weighed in and announced that they are going to support the guy who gives pretty, pretty speeches. You know, the Muslim dude who doesn't pledge allegiance to the flag, and just might be on the downlow: Barry Hussein Obama. And, yes, we know most of that stuff comes for a vicious, nasty email smear that's been going around and isn't in any way true, but come on, you gotta let us have some fun....

Guess what time it is, kids? Smear tactics time! We came across this jarring and chortle-worthy footage, claiming that possible presidential candidate, Barack Obama, is on the down-low. The Harpo DL, if you will. We're being told he could have engaged in bear-ish homosexual activity, is what we're saying. Do we believe it? Meh. Is it exciting to speculate and think about? But of course. Have no fear, fans of Obama, or...whoever you're under......

Barack's new SF HQ opens...

Tiger attack victims "yelled" at Tatiana. [SFGate] SF Main Library re-opened its first floor. We had no idea that is was closed. Still, yay! [CCBlog]Evacuating together. Aw. (Wasn't this an SNL commercial parody ages ago? With Phil Hartman and Victoria Jackson? Also: we're old.) [The Snitch]Staph infection hysteria is the new AIDS hysteria. So retro. [SFBG]Last night's gruesome N Judah Municide. [N Judah Chronicles]You know who's down with Barack Obama? Your mother. [Examiner]Duffy's (formerly known......

Before heading to a more pristine setting in Atherton, Barack Obama was in the Mission today at the Women's Building, stumping for votes before California's Feb. 5 primary. Over plastic cups of water, he met with four Dr. Laura-unapproved single mothers--two of them staunch Obama supporters, two "on the fence"--and we're loving the one on the left, school teacher Kara Daillak, 38. (Ditch the kid, and let's go get smashed in 'loin tonight.)...

Hillary Clinton's Inner Tracy Flick...

Wanda Sabir gets a call from Michelle Obama. [SF Bay View] Where to take that special someone you like, but don't like-like. Like, you know? [Gridskipper] Hasbro can go straight to hell wants to put an end to Scrabulous. [Valleywag] Rejoice, guilty white liberals! Sen. Barack Obama's TV ads will kickoff the vote-for-me ad campaigns we'll start seeing. Wee. [SFGate's Politics Blog] Engagements be damned. Beth returns for the sweet, sweet taste of Gavin......

Denied. Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu - who helped raised cash for Mayor Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Fiona Ma, Hillary Clinton, and the victorious Barack Obama - was sentenced to three years in prison today for defrauding investors of nearly $1 million over 15 years ago. He was ordered to spend a sojourn behind bars after a Ponzi scheme involving latex gloves. This case is separate from a "separate federal complaint ... by the U.S.......

Let's hope no oil tankers crash into the Bay Bridge this week -- Gavin's out of town again, this time bundled up for snow as he campaigns for Hillary Clinton in Iowa. Not quite as temperate in the middle of the country right now as it was in his last two vacation spots this month -- guess Gavin still owes the Clintons for backing him in 2003 against non-Democrat Matt Gonzalez, huh? The Republicans......

Update: Sen. Barack Obama's campaign office in Rochester and John Edwards' offices have also been evacuated. Our sister site, Bostonist is live-blogging the situation right now. Apparently, a man wants to "speak to Hillary Clinton. He has two hostages (maybe more) and [allegedly has] a bomb strapped to his chest ... police have asked the media not to take live shots of the building." Yikes. A little bit of breaking news well outside of......