Instead, it could just be savvy politics. The more the Democrats talk about Sarah Palin, the more attention they divert from the their real opponent, John McCain, and the more power they give to a woman who has become a magnetic figure. If Clinton went after Palin, it would surely make headlines — sapping attention from the economy and other issues that could help Obama.

Plus, what better way to pander to the ladies of the View than to issue a bipartisan-ish message of gender equality? He can always save any pointed political barbs for Letterman's jaded, largely male viewers, proving that Clinton is, as ever, adept at custom-tailoring his message to women when it suits his needs (political or otherwise!).

And stupid strict constructionist Republicans: how do they not have a comeback for this one? Has John McCain never spoken to a black person? Because that will actually have to change! Anyway, Barbara Walters saves it by imagining herself as some sort of latter-day Harriet Tubman.

[AP]

Here's the problem. The AP says: "Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night that Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president."

What they mean is: "Hillary Rodham Clinton will concede Tuesday night if Barack Obama has the delegates to secure the Democratic nomination, campaign officials said, effectively ending her bid to be the nation's first female president."

So the Clintons are clearly banking on a technicality (superdelegates don't have to vote until the convention!) and/or Obama coming up short (2,117, sorry!). Or they've lost touch with reality?

"It is a sad day when an icon like Barbara Walters, in the sunset of her life, is reduced to publicly branding herself as an adulterer, humiliating an innocent family with accounts of her illicit affair and speaking negatively against me all for the sake of selling a book. It speaks to her true character."

"One Obama adviser moaned that the race was 'beginning to feel like a hostage crisis' and would probably go on for another month to six weeks. And Obama said that the 'God, when will this be over?' primary season was like 'a good movie that lasted about a half an hour too long.' Hillary sunnily riposted that she likes long movies. Her favorite as a girl was 'The Wizard of Oz,' so surely she spots the 'Surrender Dorothy' sign in the sky and the bad portent of the ladies of 'The View' burbling to Obama about how sexy he is." Okay, case closed.

"But who knows? Obama and Bob Casey talking March Madness to the patrons of Sharky’s sports cafe in Latrobe, Pa., on Friday night seemed demographically clever. But it is always when Hillary is pushed back by the boys that women help hoist her up." Note to all you young journos eager to someday be this relevant: Cover all bases. [NYT]

[The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck returning to her New York City apartment today, with gifts for her son, Taylor Thomas. This was Hasselbeck's first day beck on the show; image via INF]

New line from commenter Smitros.

Today, however, we feel that we should recognize the role the program's producers have played in creating the Shepherd Sensation: Sure, Sherri might be the one dropping the 23-carat-gold-schmeared bagels and yelping about how a $1,000 glass of Scotch makes her "hot like a ho" (those looking for a cheaper freak-releasing option can always just supply some eggnog) but it's The View's behind-the-scenes masterminds who put her into these situations where her comedic talents can truly shine.

• The View [ABC.com]
• Previously: Spiked Eggnog, Santa Hats Allow Sherri Shepherd To Unleash Her Inner Christmas Freak [Defamer]

During yesterday's show above, Whoopi Goldberg looked like she was seriously contemplating decking Ingraham. We can't say that we particularly blame her! We especially enjoyed the moment when Ingraham asks, "Do you want to win in Iraq, Barbara?" to which Walters answers "Now, come on," while looking at Ingraham as though she's a teenager whose reason has been hormone-hijacked.

During Ingraham's career at Dartmouth College, which we know a little about, Ingraham routinely avoided patronizing restaurants she suspected employed gay waiters, for fear one of them might breathe on her food, thereby infecting her with AIDS. An awkward habit to explain later, when her brother Curtis came out to her!

While working for the conservative campus paper The Dartmouth Review during the 1980s, Ingraham sent an undercover reporter to secretly tape a meeting of gay and lesbian students, under the auspices of pursuing a follow-the-money story on where a mandatory $100-per-student activities fee went. "The View's" latest guest co-host then went on to print the names of those students, who had not been made aware a reporter was present.

The piece she then ran denounced the group as "cheerleaders for latent campus sodomites."

In 1997, Ingraham wrote a piece for The Washington Post lamenting that people continue to judge her for her "deeds and misdeeds in college," and explained the Review story by noting that "The group received college funding but, unlike every other student group receiving a college grant, refused to make public its membership or budget. We wanted to find out how student funds were being spent and to demonstrate the double standard Dartmouth had created by funding the group."

She also apologized for the Review's "callous rhetoric," explaining that since learning of her brother's sexuality, "my views and rhetoric about homosexuality have been tempered—not because Curtis proselytizes on gay rights, but because I have seen him and his companion, Richard, lead their lives with dignity, fidelity and courage."

Hmmm. Okay! Standing up for your rights bad! Courageous (and quiet) dignity good! Embedded homophobic tendencies aside, we're more disturbed by her continual appearance in fraternity basements during Dartmouth's Homecoming, where she has been known to frighten more than a few frat brothers by out-drinking and out-Republican-ing them into the wee hours.

In June, our crack videographer/reporter Alex Goldberg happened upon one Whoopi Goldberg on the streets of Soho, waiting in line to buy an iPhone. He asked her about becoming the host of The View. And then look what happened today! We'll never believe anything else she says!

"Ok, I always suspected this, but am only now finally able to confirm. I am a photo retoucher by profession, and I am constantly staring at people's imperfections. I noticed this once, and now can confirm:

Tom Cruise's entire top row of teeth is shifter to the left by one half tooth! If you look at the photo, [from the cover of a Good Housekeeping in 2006] and look at the line down the center of his face, the center line SPLITS HIS ONE FRONT TOOTH! Don't most people have TWO front teeth?

HE IS THE SPAWN OF SATAN!!

Love you, Gawker!"