Katharine Jose

Saturday

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Municipal Art Society's annual Livable Neighborhoods Program seminar on community planning; Hunter College, 695 Park Ave., 6th floor.

10 a.m. Caroline Kennedy helps kick off annual Madison Avenue Gallery Walk; Neuhoff Gallery, Fuller Building, 41 East 57th St., 4th floor.

11 a.m. Elected officials announce legislation to reform M.T.A.'s disability service; City Hall Steps.  read more »

Ted Kennedy tells Al Hunt he doesn't "think it's possible'' for Barack Obama to pick Hillary Clinton as a running mate.

Rahm Emanuel's spokeswoman says that it was "selective quoting."

John Edwards says it's tough to make the math work for Clinton.  read more »

Weirdly few event listings today; if you have anything to add, please do so in the comments section.

9 a.m. As part of "Million Trees," Citi Cards, with 40 company volunteers, plant trees; Thomas Jefferson Park, 114th Street and Pleasant Avenue.

5:15 p.m. Congressman Edolphus Towns holds news conference to recognize the achievements of the principal and teachers at Bedford Academy High School; Prospect Park Picnic House, 3rd Street and Prospect Park W.

Hillary Clinton send a "personal" letter to Barack Obama about the Florida and Michigan delegates.

Obama calls comments John McCain made about Obama and Hamas "offensive."  read more »

On the House floor today, Clinton superdelegate Yvette Clark of Brooklyn asked Barack Obama to sign her copy of the Daily News. [Ben]

The Clinton campaign is reportedly in a lot of debt. [Political Wire]  read more »

Steve Kornacki takes issue with Terry McAuliffe’s Clinton analogies.

The former manager of John Edwards' campaign is endorsing Obama. [Tapper]

Jimmy Carter doesn't think Michigan and Florida Democrats should be counted. [The Page]

The New York Times editorial board is sympathetic to Christine Quinn, but critical her reform package. [NYT]  read more »

Steve Kornacki doesn't think she'll take it, anyway.

Max Abelson reports.

Diane Feinstein says she wants to talk to Hillary Clinton about her plans.

Chuck Schumer doesn't want to talk about Clinton.

Amy Sullivan finds it hard to imagine Clinton's concession speech.  read more »

Clinton supporter Bob Kerrey tells Steve Kornacki that she'll drop out when (if?) she's good and ready.

George McGovern wants Hillary Clinton to drop out. [AP]

But that's seeming less and less likely, based on what she's said today. [The Page]

Ben thinks there's an effort not to make it look like she's being forced out. [Politico]  read more »

State Senate candidate Dan Squadron, trying to unseat Marty Connor, is framing the race as one between two wings of the Democratic Party, progressive and establishment--and he made his first issue the politics of Albany. In doing so, he drew attention to some of the vagueness of those terms.  read more »

Hillary Clinton is reportedly returning to Washington, D.C. to "huddle" with advisers. [Political Wire]

Some people in the industry just want the Buildings Department shut down. [Brownstoner]   read more »

Jason Horowitz considers why Barack Obama's winning campaign has (at least until last night) felt like such a depressing affair."

Steve Kornacki looks at what a recent handful of red-state victories for Democrats will mean for the McCain campaign and down-ticket Republicans in 2008.

Eliot Brown has much, much more on Chris Ward, David Paterson's pick for the top job at Port Authority.  read more »

Niall Stanage reports from the scene of Barack Obama's victory speech last night, writing, "The epic nomination battle of 2008 felt to everyone in the room like it was, at last, reaching a conclusion."

CBS calls it for Clinton.

UPDATE: But pretty much nobody else has, yet. It's getting closer.

AP calls it.

Clinton is ahead in Indiana, but it's still too close to call.

7 a.m. Christine Quinn and David Yassky promote five-borough ferry service; JMZ Macy Avenue Subway Stop, Marcy Avenue and Broadway, Brooklyn.

8:30 a.m. District Attorney Charles Hynes announces winners of the 18th annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Awards; Brooklyn Law School, 205 State St.

8:30 a.m. Meeting of the Board of Directors of New York City Economic Development Corporation; NYCEDC, Conference Rooms 4A and 4B, 110 William St.  read more »

Harold Ickes invokes the “October Surprise” when talking about Barack Obama.

Al Gore says he “hasn’t been moved” to endorse either Democrat.

Howard Dean says he's hoping for a compromise on Florida and Michigan delegates by the end of the month.  read more »

Rush Limbaugh asked his listeners to vote for Hillary Clinton in Indiana. They may be doing so. [Indianapolis Star]

Christine Quinn may be withdrawing one of her most controversial reform proposals. [City Hall Insider]

Bill Clinton once put stock in what economists say. [TPM]  read more »

Our real estate editor (and resident native North Carolinian), Tom Acitelli, thinks that the circumstantial evidence points to a good result for Barack Obama.

Hillary Clinton admits to reporters on the campaign plane that it would be very hard to temporarily repeal the gas tax. [AP]

Harry Reid, unlike Nancy Pelosi, seems to be allying himself with Clinton. [The Hill]  read more »

Steve Kornacki considers just about every possible scenario for today's primaries.

In North Carolina, Niall Stanage listens to a 67-minute closing argument by Michelle Obama. 

8 a.m. Haitian Americans rally during mortgage-fraud trial of former Haitian paramilitary leader Emmanuel Constant; across from the Brooklyn State Supreme Court, 320 Jay St.

9 a.m. Landmarks Preservation Commission public hearing; 1 Centre St, 9th Floor.

9 a.m. Workers showcase sewage skills at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection's 21st Annual Operator's Challenge; Jamaica Water Pollution control Plant, 150-20 134 St.  read more »

Hillary Clinton "has been effective in setting the bar low" for expectations about her performance in the primaries tomorrow, writes Klaus Marr.

She attacked Barack Obama over his opposition to her plan for a gas-tax holiday in a last-minute ad.

Here's the ad Obama responded with.  read more »

In Indiana, Niall Stanage listens to Hillary Clinton criticize China, OPEC and Barack Obama--and all before an arriving train could drown her out.

Jon Corzine does not support the gas-tax holiday. [Blue Jersey]

Tomorrow the State Senate will probably pass a gas-tax holiday bill. [Albany Watch]

The R.N.C. celebrates Cinco de Mayo. [Q Blog]  read more »

Here's an idea of where the polls are on the eve of the North Carolina and Indiana primaries.

Barack Obama leads Hillary Clinton among North Carolina Democrats definitively in polls released today from A.R.G (50-42), Zogby (48-40) and Public Polling Policy (53-43).  read more »

Rediscovering links between Hillary Clinton and the Indian Point nuclear plant, Phillip Beruth writes, “[I]t was like someone fired off 50,000 flashbulbs.” [Vermont Daily Briefing]

As one solution to “financial crisis,” the M.T.A. may start to let companies pay to “brand” subway cars or stations. [Second Avenue Sagas]   read more »

Niall Stanage reports from  the campaign trail in North Carolina, where the former president is defending his wife 's defense of a gas-tax holiday economists have panned.

With Barack Obama playing Paul Tsongas and Hillary Clinton playing Bill, Steve Kornacki wonders which one will win the argument over gas taxes. 

Jason Horowitz reports on how Obama's new family-values routine is working with voters.

Barack Obama won the caucuses in Guam by seven votes, and picked up one of the island's superdelegates.

John Riley is amused by Hillary Clinton's concession speech.  read more »

Saturday

10 a.m. Rev. Al Sharpton, Nicole Paultre-Bell and others announce gathering sites for May 7 civil disobedience at the National Action Network, 106 West 145th St.

11 a.m. National Guard elements train alongside firefighters in Operation Civil Support, a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high explosive incident response training exercise at the FDNY Fire Training Academy on Randall's Island.

Noon. Elected officials and community groups rally against new power plant at 31st Street and 20th Avenue, Astoria, Queens.  read more »

The Assembly and Senate released their member items.

Representative and uncommitted superdelegate Mark Udall rises to Hillary Clinton’s gas-tax challenge and sides with Obama.

This pro-development blogger thinks the mayor’s money for Willets Point is a “bold move.”  read more »

Eliot Brown gets the first word that David Paterson wants Christopher Ward to head the Port Authority.

UPDATE: A reader informs me that Liz's post on Ward was up 15 minutes earlier than Eliot's.

The YouTube clip from a film that appears to show a Clinton campaign staffer insulting Indianians is doctored, says the filmmaker. [Ben]

Michael Bloomberg’s budget sets aside $389.7 million for Willets Point. [The Real Estate]  read more »

Intern Em Whitney reports on David Paterson's appearance on WFAN this morning, where he said he doesn't blame the Dolan family for going forward with Madison Square Garden renovations, since the Moynihan Station project is stalled.

Steve Kornacki thinks that this time, the expectations game might work out for Barack Obama.

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Brookhaven National Laboratory hosts workshop on the status of biodiesel in the U.S.; Brookhaven National Laboratory, William Floyd Parkway, Upton.

9 a.m. The World Trade Centers Association holds 2nd Annual Peace and Stability Through Trade Conference; Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium at the United Nations.

10 a.m. Board of Directors meeting for the Harlem Community Development Corporation; Harlem Community Development Corporation, 163 West 125th St., 17th Floor Conference Room.  read more »

Liz gives a shorthand version of the budget Michael Bloomberg presented today.  read more »

This just in from the mayor's office:

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG TO JOIN JEB BUSH AT EXCELLENCE IN ACTION

Tallahassee, FL – The Foundation for Excellence in Education today announced New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will serve as a keynote speaker at its first annual national summit on education reform, Excellence in Action. Mayor Bloomberg will join summit host Jeb Bush and policymakers from around the nation to address today’s most important education issues. New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein will also serve as an expert panelist on quality teaching and school accountability.

 read more »

In a song inspired by the Sean Bell verdict, Compton rapper The Game says, "I should kill 51 cops for the 51 shots that they gave that kid in New York." (around the 1:40 mark). [YouTube]

A poll has Obama leading in North Carolina. [Mason-Dixon]

He’s also leading in two new national polls. [RCL]  read more »

Not surprisingly, the first words out of Howard Wolfson’s mouth on the Clinton campaign conference call today were about “some recent public polling” that show Hillary Clinton’s strength against John McCain in the general election.

Pollster Geoff Garin then gave a lengthy statement, which began: “The point here is simple. Over the course of the past two weeks, particular since our Pennsylvania victory, there’s been real movement in the polls.”  read more »

In a poll just released by Quinnipiac University, Hillary Clinton is running ahead of John McCain in Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio—three swing states that, according to electoral lore, are necessary to win the presidency.

The poll also shows McCain would beat Barack Obama in both Florida and Ohio:  read more »

Jimmy Carter is still on his book tour, and still hinting at support for Barack Obama without saying it directly.

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer taped for The Situation Room, Carter said that if superdelegates overturn what is nearly certain to be a majority of pledged delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Denver (the only way Hillary Clinton can win at this point), it would be "uncomfortable." Carter, while admitting to having a favorite, still refuses to say who he voted for in the primary, or who he plans to support at the convention.

Carter is one of the Democratic Party elders, along with Al Gore, who could conceivably play a role in tipping the nominating process towards one candidate by weighing in at some point. In Carter's case, at least, that candidate would probably be Obama. (Carter previously told a Nigerian newspaper, "My children and their spouses are pro-Obama. My grandchildren are also pro-Obama.")

Here's the transcript of the exchange, sent over by the CNN:  read more »

Steve Kornacki says it was Jeremiah Wright.

Jonathan Weisman and Matthew Mosk write an expansion piece on divisions within in the Democratic Party.

In a New York Times op-ed, Elizabeth Edwards writes about the lack of substance in covereage of the race.  read more »

The New York Times reports what the detectives had to say about the Sean Bell verdict.

Barack Obama thinks citizens should “respect the verdict” in the Bell case.  read more »

Irina Aleksander interviews Russell Simmons about the presidential race.