memeorandum: The Baggage Hillary Bears (Eugene Robinson/Washington Post)

1:50 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: The New Republic, TalkLeft, MSNBC, The Moderate Voice, Reuters, American Street, Wonkette, Raising Kaine and PrestoPundit

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, US Presidential race 2008 real …, Shakespeare's Sister and The Sideshow

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, Washington Post, Outside The Beltway, Wizbang, Confederate Yankee, Macsmind, michellemalkin.com and Redstate

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

8 Questions Super Tuesday Could Answer — Will Either Race End Today? — 1) Democratic strategist Bill Carrick put it best: “To paraphrase Churchill,” he wrote in an e-mail, “the Democrats are at the end of the beginning and the Republicans are at the beginning of the end.”

Discussion: Salon, New York Times, Greatscat! and The Carpetbagger Report

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

Michael Barone / US News:
A Super Tuesday Guide

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

Chris Bowers / Open Left:
Super Delegates To Determine Nominee

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

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: Firedoglake, protein wisdom, The Jawa Report, Think Progress, No More Mister Nice Blog, Buck Naked Politics, Donklephant, Angry Bear, RADAMISTO and The Politico

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: The Moderate Voice, Political Machine, NY Daily News, DownWithTyranny!, Ice Station Tango, USA Today, MSNBC, The Carpetbagger Report, PBD, Center Face, New York Post and CNN

Byron York / The Corner:
Mitt: Get Out of Here, Bob. Mac: How Dare You

Discussion: michellemalkin.com, Hot Air, PERRspectives Blog and Sister Toldjah

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

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

Michael Goldfarb / Weekly Standard:
Limbaugh's McCain Derangement Syndrome

Discussion: TownHall Blog, Wonkette, NewsBusters.org and The Radio Equalizer

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, abu muqawama, Betsy's Page, Redstate, Commentary, Bark Bark Woof Woof and Bats Left Throws Right

Eugene Robinson / Washington Post:
The Baggage Hillary Bears

Discussion: MyDD, Taylor Marsh and Captain's Quarters

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

John R. Bolton / Wall Street Journal:

Our Politicized Intelligence Services — Today, Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee (and Thursday on the House side) to give the intelligence community's annual global threat analysis. These hearings are always significant …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, The Corner, Commentary and On Deadline

Bruce Fein / Washington Times:

Power of the purse purloined? — Jan. 28, 2008, is a date that will live in congressional infamy. Congress surrendered the power of the purse over national security affairs to the White House. — President Bush appended a signing statement to the National Defense Authorization Act …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Think Progress and rubber hose

Marc Ambinder:

Delegates In California: A Caution — If, in many congressional districts in California, a Democrat does not receive more than 62% of the vote, he or she will receive the same number of delegates from that CD as the he or she who finishes second. (Only Clinton and Obama will earn viability — above 15% in those CDs.)

Discussion: D-Day, Cogitamus and Calitics

Michael Luo / The Caucus:

Romney at the West Virginia Convention — CHARLESTON, West Va.—The 1,200 delegates who would determine how 18 of West Virginia's delegates are allocated at the Republican National Convention gathered inside a dingy hall at the civic center here this morning.

Discussion: Washington Wire, TownHall Blog and The Page

Rolling Stone:

Mellencamp Asks McCain to Stop Using Tunes — At some recent John McCain campaign rallies, John Mellencamp's “Our Country” and “Pink Houses” have been booming out over the speakers. Uplifting heartland rock must have seemed like a smart pick, but there's just one problem: Mellencamp is an ardent Democrat.

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, Political Machine, Hot Air, All Spin Zone and Don Surber