memeorandum: The Cooper Concerns — I'm not a Hillary-hater. She's been an outstanding senator. (David Brooks/New York Times)

12:20 PM ET, February 5, 2008

Top Items:

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: McCain Dominates GOP Races; Dems Locked in Tight Contests As Super Tuesday Polls Open — UTICA, New York - The final day of polling before Super Tuesday was one of hardening positions in key races across the country, the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby survey work shows.

Discussion: TalkLeft, MSNBC, Reuters, American Street, PrestoPundit, Wonkette and Raising Kaine

Election Projection:

Super-Duper-Mega-Jumbo Tuesday predictions and results — We have arrived at the biggest day in the history of primaries. Almost half of these United States are conducting their primaries or caucuses today. Over 1000 delegates are at stake on the Republican side and twice that are being contested on the Democratic side.

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, michellemalkin.com, Washington Post, Outside The Beltway, Wizbang, Confederate Yankee, Macsmind and Redstate

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

THE POLLS — There's one guarantee I can make right now about tonight's results. They are going take make either Zogby or SurveyUSA look like complete fools. Which one I'm not completely sure, but definitely one of them. — Consider this spread. Zogby has his final California number as Obama 49%, Clinton 36%.

Discussion: MyDD, Shakespeare's Sister and The Sideshow

Chris Bowers / Open Left:

Super Delegates To Determine Nominee — It can no longer be avoided: super delegates will determine the Democratic Presidential nominee this year. Here is the current situation: — With Michigan and Florida removed from the equation, 2,025 delegates are required to win the nomination, and there are 3,253 pledged delegates.

Discussion: protein wisdom, The Campaign Spot, Balkinization, The Opinionator, Vox Popoli, Wake up America, MyDD, The Strata-Sphere, Booman Tribune, Buckeye State Blog, The Mahablog, Easter Lemming Liberal News, Cogitamus and The Reaction

Michael Barone / US News:

A Super Tuesday Guide — We've never seen anything quite like this, with 22 states voting tomorrow, just 33 days after the Iowa caucuses and 28 days since the New Hampshire primary last month. There's a big and interesting difference between the national polls, showing Hillary Clinton's lead …

Discussion: The Swamp, protein wisdom, Sister Toldjah, The Other McCain and You Decide 08!

Dan Balz / Washington Post:
8 Questions Super Tuesday Could Answer

Discussion: Salon, Greatscat! and The Carpetbagger Report

Josh Gerstein / Latest Politics:

Limbaugh Defends Clinton and Obama on Iraq — Talk show host Rush Limbaugh is so exasperated about Senator McCain's surge in the Republican presidential contest that he is coming to the defense of Senators Clinton and Obama. — On Mr. Limbaugh's program today, he said people should not be rushing …

Discussion: Think Progress, The Politico, Weekly Standard, Buck Naked Politics, Donklephant, Angry Bear and RADAMISTO

Howard Kurtz / Washington Post:

Limbaugh on McCain: It's Better to Be Right All the Time — It may be the best sideshow in presidential politics: the nation's top radio talker trying to take down the Republican front-runner in today's Super Tuesday showdown. — Rush Limbaugh has been relentless in his criticism of John McCain …

Discussion: NY Daily News, DownWithTyranny!, Political Machine, TIME, PBD, MSNBC, The Carpetbagger Report, CNN, Center Face and New York Post

Byron York / The Corner:

Mitt: Get Out of Here, Bob. Mac: How Dare You — In the aftermath of Bob Dole's letter to Rush Limbaugh defending John McCain, a full-scale sniping war has broken out between the Romney and McCain campaigns. First Romney dissed Dole this morning on Fox News:

Discussion: michellemalkin.com and Hot Air

Jennifer Parker / Political Radar:
Limbaugh: McCain Out to Destroy GOP for 2000 S.C. Defeat

Discussion: Chuck for, Middle Earth Journal, The Page, Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Gateway Pundit, PoliBlog (TM), michellemalkin.com and Commentary

Wall Street Journal:

The ‘Stimulus’ Deficit — If you want to know the real cost of Washington's economic stimulus, look no further than yesterday's Fiscal 2009 White House budget. The federal deficit is taking a giant leap backward, thanks in substantial part to the $150 billion in “temporary” tax cuts.

Discussion: protein wisdom

Bloomberg:
Bush Boosts Defense Spending in $3.1 Trillion Budget

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias

Steven R. Weisman / New York Times:
Bush's Final Budget Hints at Tough Choices Ahead

Discussion: Simply Left Behind and konagod

David Brooks / New York Times:

The Cooper Concerns — I'm not a Hillary-hater. She's been an outstanding senator. She hung tough on Iraq through the dark days of 2005. In this campaign, she has soldiered on bravely even though she has most of the elected Democrats, news media and the educated class rooting against her.

Discussion: The Newshoggers, TalkLeft, NY Daily News, MSNBC, Redstate, abu muqawama, Betsy's Page, Commentary, Bats Left Throws Right and Bark Bark Woof Woof

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Super Tuesday Viewer's Guide — Tonight promises an embarrassment of riches for political junkies. With 24 states holding either a Democratic or Republican vote for president, there is — dare we say it! — too much to read and watch. — As always, The Fix aims to cut through the clutter for our community of readers.

Discussion: politburo diktat 2.0

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:
As 24 States Vote, a Grab for Delegates, and an Edge

Discussion: Associated Press, USA Today, MSNBC, Power Line and On Deadline

Roger Simon / The Politico:

Picking up, putting aside the poor — Some political moments are so bizarre that you have to believe they actually are sincere. — One such moment came this weekend, when Barack Obama mocked John Edwards in a speech. — Obama had done it before, but that was before Edwards suspended his campaign last Wednesday.

Discussion: Iddybud Journal

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

What's Really in the U.S. Military Budget? — MUCH MORE THAN THE OFT-CITED $515.4 BILLION. — It's time for our annual game: How much is really in the U.S. military budget? — As usual, it's about $200 billion more than most news stories are reporting.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Balloon Juice, D-Day, Washington Monthly and Firedoglake

Reuters:

Ex-Bush aide Rove to join Fox News Channel — NEW YORK (Reuters) - Karl Rove, the strategist behind President George W. Bush's ascendancy to the White House, will join Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Channel as a contributor starting with Super Tuesday, the network said.

Discussion: Political Machine

Carolyn Jones / San Francisco Chronicle:

In Berkeley, push to rescind letter to Marines — (02-04) 18:52 PST Berkeley — A week after blasting the Marines as “unwelcome intruders” in Berkeley, two City Council members want the city to back off the declaration that ignited the wrath of the nation's right wing and inspired …

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, QandO and On Deadline