As Ted Cruz and Donald Trump wade into the mud with their personal attacks against each other, Republicans are coming to grips with the realization that Donald Trump will be their nominee.

Former John McCain top advisor Mark Salter says he'll vote for Hillary. Here's his Tweet:

The GOP is going to nominate for President a guy who reads the National Enquirer and thinks it's on the level. I'm with her.

Reuters contacted Salter who added: "She is fit for office. He isn't." "Salter also called Clinton "the more conservative choice."

As the media focuses on the Trump protesters at his rally last night in Orange County, CA, I hope it doesn't overlook what Trump is saying -- to cheers of his supporters. For one thing, he's back to advocating torture. The LA Times reports on what it calls his "raw" performance.

Donald Trump put his roughest edges on display Thursday night in Costa Mesa as he opened his California primary campaign with a raw performance highlighting his hard-line views on illegal immigration and torture while trashing an array of rivals.

He criticized Ted Cruz for not supporting torture: [More...]

Is the Sanders' campaign taking its final breaths? The Sanders campaign has laid off hundreds of workers. Sanders today insisted he's still in the race.

Sanders told supporters at a rally at Purdue University in Indiana Wednesday that he was "in this campaign to win and become the Democratic nominee," and said, "If we do not win, we intend to win every delegate that we can so that when we go to Philadelphia in July we're going to have the votes to put together the strongest progressive agenda that any political party has ever seen."

Interestingly, Politico, which first reported the story, doesn't use his exact words and conveys a different impression to the reader, adding the word "primarily." [More...]

Listening to Donald Trump "soil himself yet again" (as one CNN commentator put it last night) in his extended personal attack on Hillary Clinton during his victory tirade, I couldn't help but wonder what a debate between the two of them would look like.

How do you respond to someone who calls you "crooked", a criminal, unfit to be running for office, lacking in stamina, having nothing going for her but gender, etc?

Trump really is uncouth. I can't remember a candidate for national office in my lifetime who made personal attacks like these against an opponent. Sometimes you just want to take a shower after listening to him. And when he's not being uncouth, he's using bizarre statistics and exaggerating his importance. [More...]

At the end of Trump's victory tirade tonight, just after he said goodbye, I heard the first five notes of the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up." Did he pay the Stones or get their permission to use the song? When asked about it in February, the Stones said he never asked permission.

I doubt the Stones would let him use their music. They should send a "cease and desist order" telling him they have no sympathy for the devil. (Or maybe release a new version changing some lines. How about, "I'm a man of wealth and shame." )[More...]

Update: Bernie Sanders issued a statement tonight congratulating Hillary Clinton on her victory. Instead of talking about going to the convention to win the nomination, his statement says his supporters will go to the convention to influence the party platform.

John King on CNN says the math is now impossible for Bernie Sanders, "barring a miracle." He said even though tonight's numbers don't put her over the top, the multiple wins will likely "lock in" the super-delegates. (or something like that, I thought he was a little less articulate than usual.)

Update: Hillary wins Connecticut. So she took four of five states.

Update: Hillary wins PA. I haven't heard her speech yet, but CNN said she praised Bernie Sanders. Over at Fox, Joe Trippi says Hillary would have an easier time beating Cruz than Trump because he's so unpredictable. Karl Rove agrees, but says Trump will either win big or lose big.

As of 8:35 pm, Hillary has won Maryland and Delaware.

Bernie Sanders is ahead in Rhode Island. CT is much closer, with them taking turns in the lead.

Hillary has a pretty big lead in Pennsylvania, but it's early.

Update: According to Fox News' number cruncher, Trump didn't just win five states tonight, he won every county in every one of the five states.

Update: Why does no one ask what Trump promised Chris Christie? He's standing in his usual place behind Trump with his mouth open. I don't think Trump's dumb enough to make him Veep -- I just hope in the unlikely event Trump actually succeeds on his mission, it's not Attorney General.

Trump needs a hair colorist and make up artist who know how to deal with TV lighting. The top of his hair is bright yellow and he's got those racoon white circles around his eyes that look like concealer (but could be goggle marks from a tanning machine session.) With all his money, not to mention the hair and makeup talent in New York, you would think he wouldn't look like such an amateur.

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Donald Trump has won all five states voting today. No matter what happens on the Democratic side, this will be tonight's headline.

Hillary Clinton is doing a town hall with Rachel Maddow. I don't think it's live, but it had to be filmed since yesterday, since they are discussing the Cruz-Kasich alliance.

Hillary sounds very confident. She reminds Rachel a few times she is 2.7 million votes ahead.

She doesn't sound worried about Sanders, or whether he tells his supporters to support her.

She emphasizes her support for the Democratic party. She is raising money for Democrats down ticket.

Maddow keeps trying to get her to acknowledge Sanders' permanent mark on the Democratic party. She won't say he changed the party. Instead she says how important it is to support Democrats. And for Democrats to increase their turnout at midterm elections, not just presidential elections.

Donald Trump is reveling in the seemingly quick demise of the deal between Cruz and Kasich to divvy up Indiana, New Mexico and a few other states hoping to stop Donald Trump from being the Republican nominee.

The agreement, in which the two candidates agreed to cede forthcoming states to one another — Mr. Kasich would, most crucially, stand down in Indiana’s primary on May 3 to give Mr. Cruz a better chance to defeat Mr. Trump there, while Mr. Cruz would leave Oregon and New Mexico to Mr. Kasich — carried the stench of desperation, but initially it seemed like a breakthrough.

Cruz is apparently putting his hopes on Indiana and California. [More...]

According to this Yahoo News article, Bernie Sanders gave the clear impression today his campaign will only last through the California primary, not to the convention. On ABC's This Week:

“We intend to take the fight all the way to California,” Sanders said on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” “so people throughout this country have a right to determine who they want as president and what kind of agenda they want for the Democratic Party.”

On Meet the Press:

“We are in this race. We are not writing our obituary. We’re in this race to California,” he said, before letting a tense change slip. “And we’re proud of the campaign we ran.”

He still thinks he can win. And in case there was still any doubt, he's not catering to Democrats [More...]

When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
and the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the doormouse said....

What would the doormouse have said to Ted Cruz and other Republicans, hoping for a "White Knight" to prevent a Donald Trump nomination, regardless of how close he comes to the magic number of 1237 delegates, should he fall even a wee bit short by the start of the convention? The latest chapter begins yesterday, at a meeting of RNC leaders in Florida.[More...]

Trump says Kaitlin Jenner can use whatever bathroom she wants. (NYTimes, no link, subscription required.)

Trump is reinventing his campaign and Republicans should be worried.

Hillary is considering a female running mate

When is Bernie dropping out?