memeorandum: Blogroll Amnesty Day — Both Jon Swift and Skippy are spearheading … (PZ Myers/Pharyngula)

1:45 PM ET, February 3, 2008

Top Items:

John Wildermuth / San Francisco Chronicle:

State poll shows huge gains by Obama, McCain — A startling surge of support for Barack Obama has catapulted the Illinois senator into a virtual tie with Hillary Rodham Clinton in California's Democratic presidential primary, a Field Poll released Saturday shows.

Discussion: MSNBC, The Swamp, The New Republic, protein wisdom, Washington Post, Marc Ambinder, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Liberal Values, Booman Tribune, Pajamas Media, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL, Dean's World and DownWithTyranny!

Eric Kleefeld / TPM Election Central:

Zogby: Obama, Romney Ahead In California — A new Zogby poll in California — a state that may well decide the direction of the Democratic race — shows Barack Obama taking a small lead over Hillary Clinton, within the margin of error. Obama has 45% to Clinton's 41%, with Obama's 20-point …

Discussion: American Prospect, Washington Monthly, The New Republic, TalkLeft, Talking Points Memo, Riehl World View and Political Machine

Fareed Zakaria / Newsweek:

The Wrong Experience — Clinton has immense experience and is an attractive candidate. But she is terrified to act on her beliefs. — The Democratic Party's two remaining candidates have become so cordial toward one another that you could easily believe there are few substantive differences between them.

Discussion: The Huffington Post and The Huffington Post

David Wiessler / Reuters:

Clinton, Obama in dead heat ahead of big vote — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were locked in a near dead heat two days before the biggest presidential voting so far while John McCain tried to nail down the Republican nomination for the White House.

Discussion: Oliver Willis, Althouse, Sister Toldjah and Donklephant

Robert D. Novak / Townhall.com:
Bush Against Romney — WASHINGTON, D.C. — While President …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, michellemalkin.com and Power Line

Politics Central:

The Glenn and Helen Show: Mitt Romney Talks Super Tuesday — With the Super Tuesday primaries just a couple of days away, we caught up to Mitt Romney and asked him about gun control — he says he'll veto any gun control bills that cross his desk as President — about the economy, and about John McCain.

Discussion: Outside The Beltway, Hot Air, Dr. Helen and Gateway Pundit

CNN:

Romney predicts conservatives will stop McCain — (CNN) — Mitt Romney predicted Sunday his party's conservative base will rally behind him on Super Tuesday in order to prevent John McCain from winning the Republican nomination. — “What I have to do is continue to see what's been happening …

Mark Steyn / National Review:
STAY SANE THROUGHOUT 2008: SUBSCRIBE TO NR (50% OFF!) HERE.

Discussion: Townhall.com

PZ Myers / Pharyngula:

Blogroll Amnesty Day — Both Jon Swift and Skippy are spearheading a regular event, Blogroll Amnesty Day, in which we recognize and acknowledge the breadth and depth of blogtopia (yes, we all know who coined that term!). It's today! You are encouraged to scout out new blogs …

Discussion: pygalgia, Buck Naked Politics, The Barefoot Bum, The Reaction, Make Them Accountable and Taylor Marsh

James / The Mahatma X Files:

Blogroll Amnesty Day Anniversary — About a year ago, the Gated Community Blogs began a delinking policy that commenced under the odious name of “Blogroll Amnesty Day.” Within the space of a few days, it was plainly apparent that A-listers such as Daily Kos and Atrios/Eschaton had tossed …

Discussion: Mike the Mad Biologist, rubber hose, The Garlic, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Blue Gal and SteveAudio

Steven Thomma / McClatchy Washington Bureau:

Clinton, McCain lead in bellwether Super Tuesday states — WASHINGTON — Republican John McCain leads in all four corners of the country heading into a rush of primaries on Tuesday, while Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were locked in a close struggle for delegates coast to coast …

Discussion: Rasmussen Reports, The Carpetbagger Report and Open Left

Simon Jenkins / Times of London:

Fall back, men, Afghanistan is a nasty war we can never win — Britain's commanders ignored every warning that the Taliban were the toughest fighters on earth — The American secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, flies to Britain this week to meet a crisis entirely of London and Washington's creation.

Discussion: Samizdata.net, Jules Crittenden and Comment Central

Nicholas D. Kristof / New York Times:

Evangelicals a Liberal Can Love — At a New York or Los Angeles cocktail party, few would dare make a pejorative comment about Barack Obama's race or Hillary Clinton's sex. Yet it would be easy to get away with deriding Mike Huckabee's religious faith. — Liberals believe deeply …

Discussion: Hullabaloo, The Sideshow, Unqualified Offerings, The Carpetbagger Report, The Crone Speaks, Rising Hegemon and Connecting.the.Dots

Ronald Reagan / Newsweek:

Crackup? Not So Fast. — Calm down. The GOP's demise isn't as imminent as some would have it. — “We are at the end of the Reagan era.” Or, at least, that is the claim of voices as diverse as Newt Gingrich and Ed Rollins on the right and Sen. Chuck Schumer and pollster Stanley Greenberg on the left.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, Flopping Aces, American Power, Macsmind, Washington Post, Jules Crittenden and The Raw Story

Peter Wehner / Washington Post:

Why Republicans Like Obama — Barack Obama is not only popular among Democrats, he's also an appealing figure to many Republicans. Former GOP House member Joe Scarborough, now a host on MSNBC, reports that after every important Obama speech, he is inundated with e-mails praising the speech …

Discussion: Althouse

John Carlin / Observer:

Chávez role in cocaine trail revealed — The guerrilla group Farc has long been suspected of running the Colombian cocaine industry. But how does it move the drug so readily out of the country? In a special investigation, John Carlin in Venezuela reports on the remarkable collusion …

Discussion: QandO and Harry's Place

Evan Thomas / Newsweek:

What These Eyes Have Seen — He's endured the unendurable, and survived. Inside the mind and heart of John McCain. … During the 2000 election, Republican smear artists trying to stop the presidential campaign of John McCain spread rumors that the former POW was “nuts” because he had been …

Discussion: protein wisdom and Patterico's Pontifications

Marc Ambinder:

Obama Begins To Air 2/12 Ads? — Eagle-eyed Patrick Ruffini twittered last night that he'd just seen a Barack Obama ad in the DC market aimed at the 2/12 Potomac Primary... (with the campaign's SMS code appended.)

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Barbara Ehrenreich / Washington Post:

The Boom Was a Bust For Ordinary People — I t begins to sound a bit naughty — all this talk about the need to “stimulate” the economy, as if we were discussing how to make a porn film. I don't mean to trivialize our economic difficulties or the need for effective government intervention …

Discussion: Firedoglake and Middle Earth Journal

Jeff Stein / CQ Politics:

State Secret Abuses Come to a Boil — Imagine members of a Mission Impossible team listening to their assignment. They get the usual warning about the government disowning them if they're caught. Then the voice on the tape casually adds, “If we screw up, don't even think of complaining, much less suing.”

Discussion: Firedoglake and Daily Kos