Hotline After Dark -- Weird Science

Last night's TV primarily focused on Al Gore endorsing Barack Obama in Detroit, MI.

Karl Rove: "This is sort of weird that he would wait this long, and then why do it in Michigan? Why do it in Detroit, Michigan, and after he's written a book which has gotten him a lot of detractors in sort of the blue collar, United Autoworker community of Michigan. ... I could see doing it in a Florida or a Colorado ... or a New Mexico, but why go do it in Detroit, Michigan? It seems to me that eight years have not changed the tone deafness of Al Gore"" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 6/16).

CNN's Crowley: "It may be late, but it's not too little" ("Election Center," 6/16).

Mother Jones' Corn: "It's obviously not a surprise. I don't think stumping with him is going to make a big difference for Obama. But one way it will help is, remember, John McCain is one of the few Republicans with any sort of resume when it comes to climate change and global warming. ... With Al Gore out there talking about Obama and obviously saying that Obama's policies are better, you know, it will really hurt John McCain if he tries to play even with Barack Obama on that very important issue" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/16).

After the jump, McCain's latest vetting problem and is HRC out of Veepstakes?

(KATHERINE LEHR)

YOU GOT PUNK'D!

McCain's decision to keep the $300K raised by TX oilman Clayton Williams received a fair amount of coverage.

Newsweek's Fineman, on Williams' controversial comments about Ann Richards: "It's very well remembered among Texas Democratic women. ... And I think a lot of women around the country. ... You've got to remember that Ann Richards was a storied figure among Democrats, especially women all around the country. So, I mean, the McCain campaign is creating a new category of campaign maneuver. I would call it self-punking. They keep doing this to themselves. And I must say, when I talked to them today, I think they were pretty genuinely upset that they'd screwed this up. That there were young people running the finance operation who set this thing up. That's their story, and they're sticking to it. ... Claytie Williams is anathema to the very Democratic women voters that McCain is saying he's going after" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 6/16).

CNN's Bash: "McCain made clear he won't return $300,000 Williams helped raise, saying those donors are his supporters. And McCain didn't answer whether he thinks this will have any impact on his big push for women voters. He's doing that, of course, in light of Hillary Clinton's defeat" ("Situation Room," 6/16).

Newsweek's Wolffe: "You cannot separate the man from the money. ... In this cycle, coming after all we saw in 2006, it really is important for candidates to show they have clean hands. ... McCain, who built his brand around the idea of straight talk, people want to see him dealing in a straight and honest way with this kind of issue. I'm not sure that, in taking the money but rejecting the guy, that is necessarily a piece of straight talk" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 6/16).

I SAW THE SIGN AND IT OPENED UP MY EYES

There was also some talk about the Obama camp hiring ex-Clinton mgr. Patti Solis Doyle to serve as CoS to Obama's future running mate, and whether this means Hillary Clinton is out of the running for VP.

Washington Post's Milbank, asked if the hiring of Doyle ended Clinton's VP chance: "On the contrary, it's a great gift to Hillary, giving her the opportunity to fire Patti as her chief of staff twice in the same year. ... I am yet to find anybody in this town who thinks that Clinton has a chance of being chosen as the vice presidential nominee. Sort of the buzz for that seems to have died down. I wouldn't necessarily read anything into this, but there doesn't seem to be another reason for Obama not to do it at this point" ("Countdown," MSNBC, 6/16).

FNC's Cameron: "Obama aides warn supporters not to read too much into it, arguing it's all part of beefing up and unifying the Democratic Party" ("Special Report," 6/16).

CNN's Crowley: "Some people around the Clintons looked at that and said, well, this must be a signal. But I can tell you that I have talked to a good source in the Obama campaign who said: We know her. We like her. We didn't intend to send any signals. But whether they intended it or not, the idea of putting Patti Solis Doyle into the position where she is chief of staff for a not-yet-named vice presidential candidate certainly raised a lot of eyebrows here in Washington" ("Election Center," 6/16).

NO WORRIES

And ABC's Tapper caught up with Obama in MI.

Obama, on McCain aggressively going after the women's vote, especially former Clinton supporters: "Well, I'm glad that John McCain is going after women. I think that everybody should go after every voter. I think John McCain is going to have trouble making the case, when on almost every single issue that's important to women, he's been on the wrong side."

Obama, asked if the same-sex marriage ruling in CA causes him to re-think his pledge to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act: "No. I still think that these are decisions that need to be made at a state and local level. I'm a strong supporter of civil unions. And I think that, you know, we're involved in a national conversation about this issue. You know, I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, but I also think that same-sex partners should ... be able to get the same federal rights and benefits that are conferred onto married couples."

Tapper: "Does it bother you, what California's doing?"

Obama: "No" ("World News," 6/16).