Hotline After Dark -- Another Day, Another Primary

Last night's TV coverage was dominated by Hillary Clinton's win in KY and Barack Obama's win in OR.

Clinton supporter/PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D): "In the last three months ... she's won seven out of the ten primaries and won five of them by absolute blowouts. ... It's sort of amusing to me that the candidate who's doing all the winning is the one people want to drop out. I think the message is clear to superdelegates. Hillary Clinton is our most electable candidate, and that's what conventions are all about, finding out most electable candidate" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 5/20).

CNN's Schneider: "There were two big reasons why Barack Obama carried the state of Oregon. One, education. Oregon Democrats have a lot of that. Those who did not go to college voted for Hillary Clinton. ... Second factor, religion. In this case, they do not have a lot of that. Protestant voters were split. Catholic voters were split. The key to Obama's victory were voters who said they do not have any religion or they have some other religion other than Protestant or Catholic or Mormon or Muslim or Jewish" ("Election Center," 5/20).

Obama supporter/Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), on Obama gaining the majority of pledged delegates: "I just see this as a major step. It's not the end. ... This was about delegates, the number of delegates, from both voters in primary states and in caucus states. And the fact that a come-from-behind candidacy was able to achieve this tonight, I think it's significant. But, as has been pointed out, it's not the end. We have a few more weeks to go here" (MSNBC, 5/20).

See today's Hotline for the most recent coverage on the KY and OR primaries.

After the jump, kind words for Ted Kennedy (KATHERINE LEHR).

"HEARTBREAKING"

There was also a lot of reaction to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

Barack Obama: "It's heartbreaking. ... I think you can argue I would not be sitting here as a presidential candidate had it not been for some of the battles that Ted Kennedy has fought. So, not only is he a personal friend. Not only has he been one of my most important supporters during the course of this campaign, but he's somebody who battled for voting rights and civil rights when I was a child. I stand on his shoulders" ("Situation Room," CNN, 5/20).

Dem strategist/ex-Kennedy adviser Bob Shrum: "He's out there fighting and winning more battles than probably any senator in modern history. ... He's one of the great senators of all time" ("Hardball," MSNBC, 5/20).

Fortune's Easton: "The timing of it is quite tragic since he's on the verge of seeing a Kennedy-style liberal have a chance at the White House for the first time in a generation. It's not surprising how much he feels connected to Barack Obama" ("Special Report," FNC, 5/20).

GOP strategist Alex Castellanos: "His picture is in the dictionary next to 'worthy adversary.' ... If FDR built industrial-age government, Ted Kennedy is the one who grew it into a skyscraper. I don't know of anyone who has accomplished more on the Democratic side of the aisle" ("Situation Room," CNN, 5/20).

MSNBC's Barnicle: "There's such a familiarity to Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. People feel they have such access to this man. And that's the Ted Kennedy that very few people read about or see about" ("Hardball," 5/20).

Chris Dodd: "I don't know a better fighter I've ever met in my life, in or out of public life. ... Having been through as much as he has in his family, I get a little worried that people are starting talking about he's no longer with us. This is a tough guy who knows how to fight. ... I would be disturbed if I were that tumor. That tumor is in for deep trouble, in my judgment" ("Election Center," CNN, 5/20).

And ex-Pres. Carter CoS Hamilton Jordan passed away 5/20.

PA Gov. Ed Rendell (D): "He was a very bright and able guy. It's a shame. This is not a good couple of days for politics" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 5/20).